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Summary

Linear and curvilinear banks were visible as possible earthworks on images derived from lidar data, within and extending beyond the tree cover of Combe Wood, Combe Raleigh. The earthworks may be associated with surface mining.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• NATURAL FEATURE? (Unknown date)
• (Former Type) FIELD SYSTEM (Early Bronze Age to Late Medieval - 2200 BC to 1539 AD)
• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Early Iron Age to Late Medieval - 700 BC (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), ST1601 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Multiple irregularly shaped earthwork ditches or ridges were visible on the DTM visualisation.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

Linear and curvilinear banks were visible as earthworks on images derived from lidar data within, and extending beyond, the tree cover of Combe Wood, Combe Raleigh. Combe Wood is situated on the tip of a south-east facing spur overlooking the valley of the River Otter. The earthworks extend from the wooded area downslope, laterally crossing the contours of the spur. The earthworks measure between 8 and 15 metres in width and are roughly parallel with each other, which might support an interpretation as strip fields, whilst also appearing somewhat irregularly laid out, particularly near the brow of the spur, which is crossed by the ridges from southern to eastern slopes. It is possible that the earthworks are evidence of field boundaries of possible prehistoric to medieval date, but it must also be considered that they could be of non-archaeological, perhaps geological origin.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project Site Visit, 27-JUL-2016 (Site Visit). SDV359588.

Combe Wood was visited on 27th July 2016 with the intention of assessing the character of the possible earthwork boundaries identified from lidar derived images. The features were readily identifiable within the wood as significant earthworks. From the top of the ridges or plateaux, drops of up to 2 metres were estimated between closely spaced parallel ridges, although they were very varied in height and most were less. However, as the footpath through the wood crossed the ridges, they did not appear to differ from the natural topsoil in erosion or root penetration, supporting the interpretation that they were undifferentiated from it in composition. In conjunction with the irregular plan and alignment of the ridges, it seems probable that they are not archaeological in origin.

Newman, P., 2021, Earthworks, Combe Wood, Combe Raleigh, East Devon (Interpretation). SDV364671.

Unlikely to be evidence of placer deposit working for tin or gold due to the unsuitability of the underlying and surrounding geology.

Kaye, S., 2021, Surface mining, Combe Wood, Combe Raleigh, East Devon (Interpretation). SDV364370.

Earthworks at Combe Wood have been examined on lidar imagery and are thought to be the result of mining, principally ground-sluicing and hushing, where water was collected in ponds, then released to flow along channels/leats and then directed to wash away topsoil and scour boulders and bedrock. The hushing technique has been in use prior to the Roman period for mineral exploration and excavation. In this case the miners may have been exploiting placer deposits of gold or tin.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. ST1601 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2
SDV359588	Site Visit: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project Site Visit. AC Archaeology. Photograph (Digital). 27-JUL-2016.
	Linked images:18
SDV364370	Interpretation: Kaye, S.. 2021. Surface mining, Combe Wood, Combe Raleigh, East Devon. Digital.
SDV364671	Interpretation: Newman, P.. 2021. Earthworks, Combe Wood, Combe Raleigh, East Devon. email.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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