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Summary

Two adjacent earthwork mounds, with outer banks and ditches, are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1964 and digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, within Stover Park, Teigngrace. They are interpreted as possible 19th century ornamental tree mounds associated with Stover Park.

Location

Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1001268: STOVER PARK
• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1001268: STOVER PARK

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EARTHWORK (Unknown date)
• TREE MOUND (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The area is covered in trees of ‘Blacksticks Plantation’.

Fairy Surveys Ltd, 1964, FSL/6412 V, FSL/6412 V 064 07-FEB-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357115.

Earthworks of banks, mounds and ditches are visible.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX8374 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Earthworks of banks, mounds and ditches are visible.

Newman, P., 2015, A382 from Drum Bridge to Whitehill Cross and Jetty Marsh Link (Report - Survey). SDV359593.

An earthwork survey was commissioned in September 2015 by SLR Consulting Ltd, to provide a detailed plan of the earthworks as a basis for interpretation, and to assist further decision making within the planning process.
Two ovoid earthwork mounds, sited either side of the current entrance, appear unlikely to be connected with tinworking, and may be associated with landscaping of the Stover estate. The earthworks comprise mounds with a gentle rise of between 0.3 metres and 1 metres, surrounded by low hedgebanks. The hedgebank on the northern mound does not survive, or may never have existed, on its western end but on the southern example the bank forms a complete circuit around the base of the mound. Within large landscaped gardens, raised mounds such as these can be the result of planting clumps of young trees. A thorn hedge surrounding the saplings would protect them from damage by deer. This purpose might account for these features at this location. The fact that there are two close by, may indicate the site of an entrance, although the OS Old Series of 18021 and the 1826 estate map2 do not depict one.
What purpose did the ovoid mounds at the entrance to Stover Country Park serve? Excavation and analysis of soil structure could confirm their status as components of the Stover Estate’s landscaping scheme or could suggest some other purpose. Either way, they are curious anomalies and deserve further investigation.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2018-2019, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M) (Interpretation). SDV361305.

Earthworks of two adjacent sub-oval shaped mounds which measure and are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1964 and digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, within Stover Park, Teigngrace. The northern of the two mounds measures circa 32m long by 18m wide, with that to the south circa 23m long by 18m wide. Both mounds are surrounded by a narrow earthwork bank, circa 2m wide, and outer ditch, circa 1m wide. The mounds are located amongst the extensive earthwork remains of a medieval or post-medieval tin working site (MDV61846), although they clearly bear little resemble to, and likely post-date, these earthworks. They also do not correspond with any features shown in this location on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of the late 19th century, or on later available historic maps, which shows the area as plantation. They are instead interpreted as likely ornamental parkland tree mounds of Stover Park (MDV56726), possibly constructed sometime before the late 19th century when the area was subsumed by woodland.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV357115	Aerial Photograph: Fairy Surveys Ltd. 1964. FSL/6412 V. Fairy Surveys Ltd aerial photograph. Photograph (Paper). FSL/6412 V 064 07-FEB-1964. [Mapped feature: #114134 ]
SDV359593	Report - Survey: Newman, P.. 2015. A382 from Drum Bridge to Whitehill Cross and Jetty Marsh Link. SLR Consulting Ltd. Digital.
SDV361305	Interpretation: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2018-2019. The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M). Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV361470	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2017. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor. Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SX8374 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6963 - Earthwork Survey, A382 from Drum Bridge to Whitehill Cross and Jetty Marsh Link
• EDV7515 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey: Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (Ref: ACD1748)

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