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Summary

Former extractive pits and a possible drainage ditch of possible medieval to mid-19th century date were visible as earthworks on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014, on the west-facing slopes east of Pitney Farm, Awliscombe parish.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1840 AD (Between))
• GRAVEL PIT? (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1840 AD (Between))
• DRAIN (XIX to XX - 1880 AD? to 1947 AD? (Between))

Full description

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

The pits were not depicted.

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

The pits were not depicted.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2452-2453 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

The larger pit was obscured by tree cover and the smaller pit not identifiable.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST1103 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Two pits were visible as earthworks.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1103 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

The larger pit was obscured by tree cover and the smaller pit not identifiable as an earthwork.

Ryder, L., 2013, The Historic Landscape of Devon: A Study in Change and Continuity (Monograph). SDV359873.

By the time of the Tithe Survey many marl pits on the Blackdown Hills were redundant, with former quarries utilised as orchards or copses.

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

Two pits were visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 as earthworks on the west-facing slopes east of Pitney Farm, Awliscombe parish. The larger earthwork was irregularly shaped and measured circa 85 metres long and 35 metres wide. The smaller pit, circa 35 metres to the south was roughly triangular in shape and measured circa 20 metres across.
The visible earthworks did not match any pits depicted in this location on the available 19th century mapping but the larger pit did correspond closely with an enclosed copse on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25 inch map. This might support the interpretation that the extractive pit had passed out of use prior to the mid-to-late 19th century. On the Blackdown Hills many extractive pits such as marl pits are known to have been redundant by the time of the Tithe Survey, the former quarries often utilised as orchards or copses. An old gravel pit is shown and annotated circa 40 metres to the north on the OS First Edition map, recorded separately as MDV46323, and a similar function is possible for the pits recorded here. The larger pit earthworks were obscured from view by dense tree cover on aerial photographs of 1947 and digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010.
A narrow earthwork bank and ditch almost 70 metres long was visible on the aerial photographs of 1947 descending the slope to the east of the pit. The function of this earthwork is unclear, but might be evidence of a former drain, possibly of 19th to mid-20th century date. This earthwork remains visible as a slight ditch on the lidar derived images.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe 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 2452-2453 11-APR-1947.
SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1103 22-MAY-2010.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST1103 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014. [Mapped feature: #76686 ]
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
SDV359873	Monograph: Ryder, L.. 2013. The Historic Landscape of Devon: A Study in Change and Continuity. The Historic Landscape of Devon: A Study in Change and Continuity. A4 Paperback.

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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