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Summary

The remains of probable post-medieval to 19th century ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage were visible as low, parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1947, on the south-facing slopes South of Scotchhayes Plantation, Combe Raleigh parish.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1880 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Maps and Apportionments (Website). SDV349463.

The earthworks correspond to a plot depicted and listed as an orchard.

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

The orchard is not dedicted.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 2446-2447 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Parallel earthwork banks were visible.

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

The remains of probable post-medieval to 19th century ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage were visible as low, parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1947, on the south-facing slopes South of Scotchhayes Plantation, Combe Raleigh parish.
The banks were spaced roughly 5 metres apart and were aligned roughly cross-contour, presumably to aid drainage; in a setting such as this close to the head of a combe, this has resulted in banks on a number of orientations. The earthworks largely correspond to a plot (253) listed as an orchard in 'part of Scottshayes Estate' on the Tithe Apportionment for Combe Raleigh. They are therefore interpreted as ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage. The orchard is not marked on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch First Edition map and therefore was probably cleared between circa 1840 and 1880.
The earthworks are therefore at the latest mid-19th century in date and could be significantly older. The orchard remained lightly planted with trees in the late 1940s but was completely cleared of trees by 1982. Other than a slight hint of the plot boundary visible as a subtle earthwork on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010, the earthworks were no identifiable on later images available to the survey and have probably been levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349463	Website: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Maps and Apportionments. http://devon.gov.uk. Website.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 2446-2447 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #74329 ]
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

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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