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Summary

A rectangular ditch and bank defined enclosure with rounded corners was visible on aerial photographs and digital images derived from lidar data as earthworks on the east facing slopes of the Corry Brook combe, to the north-east of Higher Corry Farm, Stockland. The enclosure has been tentatively interpreted as a Fort of Roman date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FORT? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1130 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359646.

Linear earthwork banks were visible south-west of Oakham House.

Ordnance Survey, 1996, OS/96569, OS/96569 V 97-98 08-MAY-1996 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359324.

Linear earthwork banks were visible defining a rectangular enclosure south-west of Oakham House.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST2401 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Linear earthwork banks and external ditches were visible defining a rectangular enclosure south-west of Oakham House.

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

A rectangular ditch and bank defined enclosure with rounded corners was visible on aerial photographs and digital images derived from lidar data as earthworks on the east facing slopes of the Corry Brook combe, to the north-east of Higher Corry Farm, Stockland. The visible earthworks of the external ditch are on average circa 4 metres wide and the bank between 4 and 8 metres wide. Internally the enclosed area measures circa 111 by 75 metres, or roughly 0.9 hectares. A break in the northern bank approximately 68 metres along from the north-western corner might be evidence for an entrance. A possible sub-division of the enclosure circa 30 by 40 metres in size can be seen in the north-west corner of the enclosed area. The enclosure has been tentatively interpreted as a Fort of Roman date. Further investigation, such as geophysical survey, is recommended.

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

The site was visited on 19th January 2017. The earthwork banks of the enclosure were most clearly identifiable on the north-east edge of the site, although subtle earthworks were discernible across much of the plot, with the exception of the south-east corner.

Smart, C., 2017, Higher Corrie Farm, Dalwood, East Devon: Geophysical Survey (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV361121.

A recent National Mapping Programme project identified earthworks and cropmarks that potentially reveal the position of a Roman camp or similar enclosure of archaeological interest, as well as traces of former land division. The field is laid to pasture and is grazed. There is no indication that the site has been ploughed in recent years. The results show no obvious traces of a ditch associated with either the removed field boundaries or the rectangular enclosure is evident. Given that other positive point and possible linear anomalies are detected within the enclosure there is reasonable assurance that should there have been ditches then the survey would have recorded them. The conclusion is, therefore, that either ditches associated with the former boundaries were very slight, or that the boundaries only had an above ground component – a wall, fence or bank cast from collected material. The magnetic survey has demonstrated the existence of archaeological remains within the site, but these are not as significant as they might have been. The survey was commissioned in order to provide additional information to help clarify whether earthworks identified during the Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments NMP Project represented a Roman camp. Unfortunately, there is little within the results of the survey to support this suggestion. Instead, the results suggest that the earthworks are related to the site of Higher Corry, which was deserted in the second half of the nineteenth century.

The character of these anomalies is, however, not that which would be expected of a Roman camp. There is no obvious trace of a ditch around the earthwork, or of well-defined entrances. It is perhaps more likely that the earthworks and magnetic anomalies are related to the former location of Higher Corry. No trace of the former land division seen on the same map on the southern edge of the field was identified by the survey although a different northwest-southeast arcing boundary is visible. This must predate and have already been removed prior to the drafting of the Tithe map. Overall, the results do little to corroborate the interpretation of aerial photographic evidence and on the basis of our current understanding the suggestion that this might be the location of a Roman camp cannot be sustained. It seems more likely, however, that the survey has identified the location of part of a medieval farm complex – Higher Corry (see MDV122015).

Whilst the rectangular enclosure survives well as an earthwork today, its
magnetic response is weak. The only signature is a weak negative linear anomaly which corresponds to part of its western side (C). This anomaly type is interpreted as the remains of a stone wall or rubble core to a bank. There is no corresponding positive anomaly that might indicate a ditch alongside this feature.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST2401 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014. [Mapped feature: #74789 ]
SDV359324	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1996. OS/96569. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. OS/96569 V 97-98 08-MAY-1996.
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).
	Linked images:18
SDV359646	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1975. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1130 11-APR-1947.
SDV361121	Report - Geophysical Survey: Smart, C.. 2017. Higher Corrie Farm, Dalwood, East Devon: Geophysical Survey. University of Exeter. Digital.
	Linked documents:1

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)
• EDV7535 - Geophysical Survey: Higher Corrie Farm, Dalwood, East Devon

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