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Summary

A former extractive pit of probable medieval to 19th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as a shallow oval earthwork abutting the south-east side of the road opposite Pomhayes Farm, 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 1880 AD (Between))
• MARL PIT? (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1880 AD (Between))

Full description

British Geological Survey, BGS 50000 scale digital geology (Website). SDV358790.

The pit is located on mudstone bedrock.

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

The visible earthwork corresponds partly with a small enclosed plot listed as a pit.

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

The visible earthwork does not correspond with a depicte pit.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2449-2450 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A shallow earthwork pit was visible. Map object based partly on this source.

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

A shallow earthwork pit was visible. Map object based partly on this source.

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

A shallow oval pit was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as an earthwork abutting the south-east side of the road opposite Pomhayes Farm, Awliscombe parish. In total the pit is almost 70 metres long and nearly 25 metres wide. The visible earthwork is bisected by an extant field boundary, and it is possible it is comprised of two pits abutting on either side of the boundary.
The visible earthwork north-east of the extant boundary probably corresponds with a small enclosed plot on the Tithe Map for Awliscombe. This plot (plot 440) is recorded as Pit on the Apportionment. The enclosure is not marked on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25inch map. This supports the interpretation that the visible earthwork is evidence of an extractive pit or pits, the southern part of which had probably passed out of use by the mid-19th century, and the northern by the later 19th century.
The pit is one of many in this area located on mudstone bedrock, which might support an interpretation as marl extraction pits. 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.

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.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2449-2450 11-APR-1947.
SDV358790	Website: British Geological Survey. BGS 50000 scale digital geology. http://ogc.bgs.ac.uk/cgi-bin/BGS_Bedrock_and_Superficial_Geology/wms?. Website.
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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