See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

The remains of ridges probably made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage from the post-medieval to mid-19th century, were visible as low parallel earthwork banks flanking Broadleaze Copse on aerial photographs of 1947 and 1950, on the north-west facing slopes north-west of Broadleaze Farm, Payhembury parish.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1950 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The visible earthworks correspond with plots 155 and 157, both listed as orchards.

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

The south-eastern area of earthworks fall within a plot depicted as an orchard.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2453-2454 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Narrowly spaced ridges were visible as earthworks

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/453, RAF/541/453 RS 4104-4105 04-MAR-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357845.

Linear narrow earthwork banks were visible in two plots.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST0903-ST1003 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Low parallel banks remained visible as earthworks on the south-eastern orchard plot, south-east of Broadleaze Copse.

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 to the north-west and south-east of Broadleaze Copse, on aerial photographs of 1947 and 1950 on the north-west facing slopes north-west of Broadleaze Farm, Payhembury parish.
The visible banks corresponded with plots 155 and 157 on the Tithe Map for Payhembury, listed as Higher Orchard and Pit Orchard associated with the former site of Broadleaze Farm on the Apportionments. The orchard in Plot 157 probably takes its name from the location of the woodland, orchard and copse, within a former extractive pit (recorded separately).
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.
Broadleaze Farm and Pit Orchard are not depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25inch map, supporting the interpretation that they had been cleared between circa 1840 and 1880. The earthwork banks remain visible in both plots on aerial photographs of 1950 but only survive to be seen on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 in the south-eastern plot; the north-eastern plot has been converted to a pond within Broadleaze Copse.

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 2453-2454 11-APR-1947.
SDV357845	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/453. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/453 RS 4104-4105 04-MAR-1950. [Mapped feature: #76643 ]
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST0903-ST1003 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
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)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.