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Summary

A ha-ha and formal garden of post-medieval date are visible on aerial photographs and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 immediately south of Willestrew.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FORMAL GARDEN (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1932 AD (Between))
• HA HA (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

The earthwork bank corresponds with a depicted plot boundary shown as a possible fence or reinforced bank. The Plot to the north is recorded as ‘House and Yard’ (Plot 710) and the plot to the south is recorded as ‘Lawn’ (Plot 711). The formal garden is not depicted within the lawn plot.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

The earthwork bank corresponds with a depicted plot boundary with flanking earthworks. The formal garden is not depicted.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

The bank is clearly visible and has a possible break or steps or a slope in its centre leading into the plot below. A rectangular symmetrical garden feature formed by possible hedging is visible within the plot. It is bisected by avenues in two orientations, including one aligning with the break in the bank to the north. A tree or shrub appears to be situated centrally within this garden feature.

Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 2001-2002, Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Transcriptions and Database Records, RAF 540/226/F10/5101-2 (Interpretation). SDV346287.

Landscaped gardens of post-medieval date are visible on aerial photographs as an earthwork trackway and as a hedge or banked avenue.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Tellus LAST RETURN 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV363955.

A curvilinear bank is visible as an earthwork.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2016, Backlog Recording of the Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Survey (Personal Comment). SDV359374.

The gardens are likely associated with Willestrew to the immediate north MDV15933.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 01-JAN-2001 ACCESSED 26-MAR-2021 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

The bank is faintly visible as an earthwork from 2001 onwards.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M project) (Interpretation). SDV363945.

A curvilinear bank circa 65 metres in length is visible as an earthwork on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013. The bank is situated immediately south of the main house at Willestrew and forms a terraced plot within the south-west sloping terrain.
The bank corresponds with a curvilinear fence-like structure depicted on the Tithe Map, which may be a reinforced bank forming the boundary between Plots 710 and 711. It also corresponds with earthworks depicted on subsequent historic maps and is visible on aerial photographs taken circa 1946 and faintly on aerial photographs taken from 2001 onwards.
The Plot to the north is recorded as ‘House and Yard’ and the plot to the south is recorded as ‘Lawn’ in the Tithe Apportionment. A formal rectangular garden feature is visible within the lawn plot on aerial photographs circa 1946.
The bank is interpreted as a post-medieval ha-ha associated with the formal gardens of Willestrew.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6911 - Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme
• EDV8345 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M) (Ref: ACD2380)

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