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Summary

The remains of ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved drainage of probable post-medieval to mid-19th century date, were visible as low parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs of the 1940 on the west-facing slopes to the south of Wadhays Farm, Awliscombe parish.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD (Post Medieval to XXI - 1540 AD to 2014 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The plot was symbolised as an orchard.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2451-2452 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Parallel banks were visible as earthworks.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/534, RAF/541/534 RP 3056-3057 30-MAY-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357615.

Parallel banks were visible as earthworks.

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

The banks remained visible as very slight earthworks.

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 ridges or narrow banks were visible as low parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1947 on the west-facing slopes to the south of Wadhays Farm, Awliscombe parish.
The visible earthworks fall within a slightly larger plot depicted as an orchard on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch First Edition map, and remained planted with trees on aerial photographs of 1950. The earthworks can therefore be interpreted the remains of tree planting banks made for fruit tree planting and improved drainage dating, probably from the post-medieval period to the mid-19th century.
The orchard had been cleared of trees and the banks were not visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1982. Digital images derived from elevation data of 2006 might support the interpretation that the ridges survive as very slight earthworks but this data was not of sufficiently high resolution for a confident identification to be made, and it is possible the banks have been levelled.
The orchard might have been established on the site of an earlier extractive pit, recorded separately.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2451-2452 11-APR-1947.
SDV357615	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/534. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/534 RP 3056-3057 30-MAY-1950. [Mapped feature: #76595 ]
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
SDV359504	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82218 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82218 V 1149-1150 28-AUG-1982.

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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