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Summary

A former extractive pit of possible medieval to mid-19th century date was visible as an earthwork on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014. The pit was cut by a mill leat on its south-eastern edge.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Plot 134 is named as Castle Pit and waste, pasture, associated with Woodbere Court.

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

The visible earthworks fall partly within Castle Copse.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST0703 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Irregularly shaped earthwork pits were visible.

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

An irregularly shaped pit or pits measuring circa 70 by 60 metres in size in total were visible as earthworks on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014.
The visible earthworks are bisected by the earthwork remains of a curvilinear ditch or hollow up to 12 metres wide, probably part of the mill leat that fed Danes Mill to the south, as depicted on the historic maps available to the survey.
West of the leat the visible earthworks correspond in part with a pond depicted on the Tithe Map for Plymtree in plot 134, named Castle Pit and waste. This plot also coincides with a mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland named Castle Copse on the OS First Edition 25 inch map.
Possible extractive pit earthworks extend to the east of the leat into plot 131 on the Tithe Map, which do not match any depicted features.
The mill leat earthwork extends south from the pit for almost 100 metres and is recorded separately.
The evidence supports the interpretation that the visible earthwork pits are the remains of extractive pits that had passed out of use prior to the mid-to-late 19th century, and were partly subsequently used as a pond. The leat might have been contemporary with the extractive activity.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST0703 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014. [Mapped feature: #77734 ]
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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