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Summary

Curvilinear and linear banks and ditches, interpreted as relict field boundaries of a possible medieval field system, are visible as earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken from 2000 and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2004 and 2013. The field boundaries had been removed by the mid-19th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Unknown date)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The earthworks do not correspond with any curvilinear or linear features in this location.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 22-FEB-2005 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

Curvilinear and linear banks and ditches are visible as earthworks.

Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 2001-2002, Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Transcriptions and Database Records, RAF/V17/170/0016-17 (Interpretation). SDV346287.

The transcription from aerial photographs RAF/V17/170/0016-17 of a linear earthwork bank interpreted as a field boundary corresponds closely to a database record of a cropmark field system, recorded as being of ‘unknown medieval’ date, on the north-west edge of West Down. Two further earthwork banks interpreted as field boundaries were transcribed; 180 metres to the west and 220 metres to the east. These were probably recorded together.

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.

Curvilinear and linear banks and ditches are visible as earthworks.

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

The aerial photograph reference given in the Tamar Valley NMP transcription attributes is incomplete; the date of the photographs is not included.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM XX-XXX-2000; 30-MAY-2020 ACCESSED 19-APR-2021 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

Curvilinear and linear banks are visible as earthworks.

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.

Curvilinear banks that are flanked in places by ditches, between 2-8 metres wide and broadly orientated north-west to south-east and north-east to south-west, are visible as earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken from 2000 and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2004 and 2013. The earthworks occupy an area of circa 21 hectares across a ridge and south-west facing slope on West Down.
They do not correspond with any curvilinear or linear features depicted in this location on the mid-19th century Parish Tithe Map, or on later available historic maps but are in keeping with the surrounding historic field pattern which show this area as comprising unenclosed rough ground.
This supports the interpretation that the earthworks are relict field boundaries of a possible medieval field system, the boundaries having been removed by the mid-19th century by which time the area had been given over to rough ground.
The earthworks correspond with two banked features (SX47757054 & 47877055) recorded from aerial photographs during the Tamar Valley NMP project. These features have been re-transcribed during this survey from lidar data which has provided additional clarity and detail as well as improved spatial accuracy, but which was unavailable to the previous survey.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

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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