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Summary

A possible former extractive pit of possible medieval to 19th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards and digital images derived from lidar data as a shallow earthwork pit on the north and west-facing slope north-east of Pitney Farm, Broadhembury parish.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The visible earthwork pit did not corresponds with any depicted feature.

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

The visible earthwork corresponded with an area depicted as rough ground and a pond.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/453, RAF/541/453 RS 4106-4107 04-MAR-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357845.

The pit was obscured by tree cover.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST1003-ST1004 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

An irregularly shaped, roughly triangular earthwork pit was visible.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1003-ST1004 22-MAY-2010 - wooded (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

The pit earthworks were obscured by dense tree cover.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

The visible earthwork corresponded partly with an area depicted as woodland and pond.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

A pond is depicted north and west of the field boundaries, corresponding with the northern element of the pit.

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

A probable former extractive pit was visible on digital images derived from lidar data as an irregularly shaped earthwork pit approximately 67 by 58 metres in size, on the north and west-facing slope north-east of Pitney Farm, Broadhembury parish.
The earthwork is located at the juncture of two field boundaries, most clearly visible as a shallow scoop to the south of a roughly east-west boundary. Digital images derived from lidar data reveal that the pit continues to the north of this boundary and west of a north-west to south-east aligned boundary, where a pond is marked on the current Ordnance Survey MasterMap.
The pond corresponds with an area of rough ground containing a pond depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25 inch map. Nothing is shown here on the Tithe Map for Broadhembury. The earthworks north of the boundary are obscured from view on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, with woodland subsequently encroaching onto the pit earthworks south of the field boundary; view all the pit earthworks is obscured by dense tree cover on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010.
This might support the interpretation that the extractive pit had passed out of use prior to the mid-19th century. The establishment of woodland on such otherwise agriculturally marginal former extractive sites is a recurring theme noted by the survey.

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.
SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1003-ST1004 22-MAY-2010 - wooded.
SDV357845	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/453. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/453 RS 4106-4107 04-MAR-1950.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST1003-ST1004 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014. [Mapped feature: #76437 ]
SDV359352	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2016. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
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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