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Summary

A probable former extractive pit of medieval to 19th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1980s onwards as an irregularly shaped shallow earthwork on the south facing slopes to the north-east of Merrifield House, Awliscombe 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))
• MARL PIT? (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

The visible earthwork did not correspond with any depicted quarries or pits, but did correspond in part with a much smaller area defined by a dotted line, possibly a pond.

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

The visible earthwork did not correspond with any depicted quarries or pits.

Ordnance Survey, 1982, OS/82218 V, OS/82218 V 1149-1150 28-AUG-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359504.

Two irregularly shaped earthwork pits were visible.

Turner, S.C., 2005 - 2006, Devon Historic Landscape Characterisation Mapping (Cartographic). SDV349122.

This area was probably first enclosed with hedge-banks during the later middle ages. The curving form of the hedge-banks suggests that earlier it may have been farmed as open strip-fields

Next Perspectives, 2006, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photograph - Digital Elevation Data, Next Perspectives APGB Elevation Data ST1203 03-JUN-2006 (Cartographic). SDV359482.

Two shallow earthwork pits were partly visible as slightly earthworks.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1203 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

Two shallow earthwork pits were visible as slightly earthworks.

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

The pit south of the field boundary corresponds with a depicted pond.

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 of medieval to 19th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1980s and digital images derived from aerial photographs and elevation data as an irregularly shaped shallow earthwork on the south-facing slopes to the east Marlcombe Cross, Awliscombe parish.
The visible earthwork is bisected by a field boundary of possible late medieval origin, but in total measures circa 43 metres across. It does not correspond with any pit depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25inch Map. However, it does correspond in part with a smaller area on the northern side of the field boundary defined by a dotted line on the Tithe Map for Awliscombe, possibly a pond. This might support the interpretation that the extractive predated the enclosure of the field system, and pit had passed out of use by the mid-19th century at the latest.
The pit is one of many in this area located on mudstone bedrock, which might support an interpretation as marl extraction pits. A larger former marl pit was shown and labelled on the OS First Edition map circa 60 metres to the south-west. Marl was commonly extracted to improve soil quality or provide material for cob buildings from the medieval period to the 18th and 19th century but many marl pits were redundant by the time of the Tithe Survey. The earthwork to the south of the field boundary remains depicted as a pond on the current OS MasterMap base layer, but can be seen as an earthwork pit under pasture on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2014.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349122	Cartographic: Turner, S.C.. 2005 - 2006. Devon Historic Landscape Characterisation Mapping. Digital.
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
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
SDV359479	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1203 08-SEP-2014.
SDV359482	Cartographic: Next Perspectives. 2006. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photograph - Digital Elevation Data. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Elevation Data ST1203 03-JUN-2006.
SDV359504	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82218 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82218 V 1149-1150 28-AUG-1982. [Mapped feature: #76587 ]

Associated Monuments

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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