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 possibly made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage from the post-medieval period to the mid-19th century, were visible as low parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1947 on the south-west facing slopes north of Heathfield, Awliscombe village. The banks have probably been levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1947 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The visible earthworks fall within a plot depicted as an orchard.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3447-3448 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

The orchard remained moderately planted and earthwork banks were visible across part of the plot.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST1301 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

The earthwork ridges were not identifiable.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1301 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

The former orchard was not planted and banks had probably been damaged by agricultural activity.

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

Low and narrow parallel ridges were visible as low parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1947 on the south-west facing slopes north of Heathfield, Awliscombe village.
The ridges were spaced approximately 5 metres apart and were visible running across the contours of the slope. The plot in which the banks were visible was depicted as an orchard on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25 inch map and the orchard remained planted with trees in 1947.
The earthworks are therefore interpreted as the possible remains of tree planting banks made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage dating probably from the post-medieval period to the mid-19th century.
All trees had been cleared from the site and the orchard encroached onto by activity associated with the expanded agricultural building complex immediately to the north-west on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2014, resulting in the probable levelling of the earthworks.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #77077 ]
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3447-3448 11-APR-1947.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST1301 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
SDV359479	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1301 08-SEP-2014.

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.