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Summary

Three Roman ditches excavated as part of a programme of archaeological works along the route of a gas pipeline. The alignment of one coincides with a former boundary depicted on the Tithe Map. All three ditches contained sherds of South Devon Ware.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Site of Roman ditches and features, and ponds dating to the 19th century or earlier to north-west of Bartonhill Cross

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD (Between))

Full description

Joyce, S. + Mudd, A. + Collard, M., 2010, South-West Reinforcement Project, Ottery St Mary to Aylesbeare, Aylesbeare to Kenn, Fishacre to Choakford Gas Pipelines, Devon: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design Issue 2: Volume I Text, 47, 138 (Report - non-specific). SDV347992.

Site FTC 7.01. The site comprised a series of pits, postholes and ditches representing a probable Romano British settlement. Three north-south orientated ditches (7.01.058, 007 and 0.72). Ditch 058 in the eastern area of the site contained two sherds of Roman pottery, ditch 007 also in the eastern half of the site contained 12 sherds of Roman pottery together with two iron objects and a fragment of fired clay. Ditch 072 towards the western end of the site contained 13 sherds of Roman pottery. It is possible that 007 and 072 are two boundaries of an enclosure about 80 metres across.

Joyce, S. + Mudd, A. + Collard, M., 2010, South-West Reinforcement Project, Ottery St Mary to Aylesbeare, Aylesbeare to Kenn, Fishacre to Choakford Gas Pipelines, Devon: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design Issue 2: Volume II Illustrations, Fig. 46 (Report - non-specific). SDV347993.

Map object based on this source.

Joyce, S. + Mudd, A. + Collard, M., 2010, South-West Reinforcement Project, Ottery St Mary to Aylesbeare, Aylesbeare to Kenn, Fishacre to Choakford Gas Pipelines, Devon: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design Issue 2: Volume III Site Gazetteer, FTC 07.01 (Report - non-specific). SDV347994.

Mudd, A. + Joyce, S., 2014, The Archaeology of the South-West Reinforcement Gas Pipeline, Devon. Investigations in 2005-2007, 86-7, 108 (Monograph). SDV359340.

Site 19. Barton Hill Cross, Littlehempston. Ditch 7.01.007, in the eastern part of the site, was a substantial feature, 2.5 metres wide and 1.3 metres deep with a steep V-shaped profile and a concave base. Twelve sherds of Roman South Devon Ware pottery were recovered from the upper fill together with an iron blade fragment. Also in the eastern area of the site was ditch 7.01.058 the fill of which contained two sherds of Roman South Devon Ware pottery. Towards the western end of the site, the upper fill of ditch 7.01.072 contained 13 sherds of late 2nd to 4th century pottery including sherds from an everted-rim jar. Its location coincides with a former boundary depicted on the Tithe Map. The fact that Roman pottery was recovered from the upper fills of 072 and 007 suggest that they are earlier in date, perhaps Late Iron Age. While it is possible that they were two boundaries of an enclosure, their dissimilar forms suggest this is not the case; ditch 072 was 3.2 metres wide but only 0.28 metres deep whereas, as noted above, ditch 007 was 2.5 metres wide and 1.3 metres deep. Map object based on this source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6131 - BLADE (Unknown date)
• FDV6127 - POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV5439 - Archaeological Investigations Along Gas Pipeline, South-West Reinforcement Project

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