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Summary

The remains of ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage probably in the post-medieval period or 19th century were visible as low parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1950 on the north-west facing slopes east of Milton, Payhembury parish.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1880 AD (Between))

Full description

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

Plot 473 is listed as Pit Orchard.

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

The visible earthworks correspond with plot 473.

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

The visible earthworks correspond with a depicted orchard.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/453, RAF/541/453 RP 3099-3100 30-MAY-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357845.

Narrow parrallel banks were visible as earthworks.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST0800 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

The linear banks were not visible as earthworks.

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

Narrow ridges were visible as low parallel earthwork banks under light tree cover on aerial photographs of 1950. The visible earthwork banks were spaced circa 6 metres apart and crossed the contours of the slope over an area of circa 1.5 hectares.
The visible earthworks corresponded with an orchard depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25 inch map and plot 473 on the Tithe Map for Payhembury, listed as Pit Orchard on the Tithe Apportionments. The earthworks are therefore interpreted as the remains of banks made for fruit tree planting and improved drainage in orchards dating possibly from the post-medieval period or the 19th century, and passing out of use by the mid-20th century.
The plot is now under arable cultivation and the banks were not visible as earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010, and have probably been levelled. The pit that gave the orchard its name was probably an extractive pit potentially of medieval date, most likely located in the south-west corner of the plot. This was not identifiable on the images available to the survey but a large pit probably created in the 20th century was visible in this location and has not been transcribed.

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: #77435 ]
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST0800 22-MAY-2010.
SDV357845	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/453. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/453 RP 3099-3100 30-MAY-1950.
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
SDV359954	Cartographic: South West Heritage Trust. 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments. Tithe Map and Apportionment. Digital.

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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