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Summary

Late Iron age to Early Romano-British enclosure. Internal and external features include a potential ring ditch, possible postholes, gullies and ditches. These features may be associated with the enclosure.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DITCH (Unknown date)
• GULLY (Unknown date)
• POST HOLE? (Unknown date)
• RING DITCH? (Unknown date)
• ENCLOSURE (Late Iron Age to II - 100 BC to 200 AD)

Full description

Caine, C. + Rainbird, P., 2017, Land at Creedy Bridge, Crediton (Report - Evaluation). SDV360163.

An archaeological trial trench evaluation was undertaken to provide supporting information for a forthcoming planning application for residential development on land at Creedy Bridge, Crediton,
Devon.

Trenches 3 and 4 were positioned to investigate the possible double-ditched enclosure. Located in Area 2, just above the floodplain, it occupies a position sheltered between two spurs of the hill behind it and it is overlooked on two sides.

Trench 3 (Plan Fig. 5a, Section Figs 5b-c; Plate 5)
Trench 3 was “L” shaped and aligned northwest to southeast for 50m then changing to northeast to southwest for 50m. It targeted two sides of a sub-square enclosure in Area 2 of the site, where it exposed one ditch in each leg of the trench, and a wide natural depression or pond filled with deposits (F307). Only one of the ditches was excavated (F303) as it was assumed to be the same ditch running through both legs of the trench. Natural subsoil (302) was exposed at a depth of 0.50m below existing levels comprising topsoil (300) and subsoil (301). Enclosure Ditch F303 measured 2.19m wide and 0.95m deep, with moderately sloping straight sides and a concave base. It contained three fills, with the primary fill (304) composed of mid reddish-grey loamy-sand. The secondary fill (305) was a light brownish-red sandy-loam. The upper fill (306) was a mid reddish-brown sandy-loam. All of the fills contained finds of worked and burnt flint, while the upper fill also contained eight sherds of pottery dated to the Late Iron Age or Romano- British periods. The ditch was also present on the south west side (312) but was not excavated.

Trench 4 (Plan Fig. 6a, Sections Figs 6b-e & 7a-c; Plates 6 and 7)
Trench 4 was “L” shaped and aligned northwest to southeast for 50m then changing to northeast to southwest for 30m. It targeted two sides of the sub-square enclosure interpreted from the geophysical survey in Area 2, and the trench was widened in these locations to better expose and safely excavate the features. Two large ditches, an inner (F406) and outer (F417), of the enclosure were revealed in the southeast leg of the trench although only a single enclosure ditch (unexcavated) was exposed in the northeast leg. A possible ring ditch (F427) corresponding with a circular anomaly interpreted from the geophysics was also present in this area. Within the enclosure a small number of features was exposed, which included possible postholes (F449 and F456) and a ditch (F453). External to the enclosure in the southeast leg of the trench were two small ditches (F404 and F433) and a number of different layers, which sealed another five small ditches (F463, F465, F467, F470 and F473). Natural subsoil (403) was exposed at a depth of 0.55m below existing levels, generally below topsoil (400) and subsoil (401).

Enclosure ditches
Inner ditch F406 measured 3.85m wide and 2.20m deep, with steeply sloping convex sides and a slightly concave base with a series of fills. A thin primary fill (436) was covered by a much more substantial secondary fill (407), which was composed of a mid red sandy-silt with a thin horizon of charcoal flecks indicative of a single dump event and containing grains of wheat/barley type. Above this was a stony fill (408), which may represent bank material collapsing into the ditch, This was below 409, which had charcoal-rich flecking with good preservation of wheat/barley type grains, and remains of possible legume (pea or lentil), berry and nut. The upper fills (409 and 413-6) were complicated in the northeast part of the excavated slot by a pit (F437) cutting the northwest edge of the ditch, which had been filled in before the final fills of the ditch. F437 was sub circular in shape and measured 1.70m long by 1.50m wide and 0.40m deep, with shallow sloping concave sides and a concave base. It had two fills (438-9). Layer 458, located on the inside of the enclosure inner ditch (F406), may represent former bank material that fades off into the subsoil further into the interior. Ditch F406 contained 43 sherds of pottery dated to the Late Iron Age of Romano-British periods, one sherd of pottery dated to the Middle Iron Age, seven pieces of ironworking slag and six pieces of worked flint. Hammerscale was recovered
during palaeoenvironmental processing of fills 407 and 409, which along with the recovery of iron slag indicates metalworking in the vicinity.

Outer ditch F417 measured 4.78m wide and 1.96m deep with moderately sloping straight sides and a concave base. It contained multiple fills (418, 441-5, 447-8). Stony fill 443 is likely derived from erosion and collapse of bank material and above this, fill 418 was charcoal-rich and may represent a dump of domestic wood fuel waste. Ditch F417 contained 36 sherds of pottery dated to the Late Iron Age of Romano-British periods, one piece of ironworking slag and 18 pieces of worked flint. The ditch was also present on the northeast side (419) but was not excavated.

Layer 459 was located between the two enclosure ditches, it measured 6.45m wide and 0.54m thick, and was comprised of dark brown silty-sand with large amounts of gravel and pebbles. It probably represents plough-dispersed bank material on the inner side of ditch F417. It contained no finds.

Ring ditch F427
A small curvilinear gully in the northeast leg of the trench may be a ring ditch or roundhouse. It was exposed over a length of 4.05m and measured 0.45m wide and 0.30m deep, with moderately steep sloping straight sides and a concave base. It contained a single fill (428) composed of mid reddish-brown clayey-loam. No finds were recovered.

Features internal to the enclosure
In addition to the possible ring ditch/roundhouse there were a few other features which would be
internal to the enclosure and potentially associated with it. They comprised two possible postholes (F449 and F456) and an irregular ditch (F453). There were no finds from any of these features.

Possible posthole F449 measured 0.57m long by 0.49m wide and 0.29m deep, with steeply sloping concave sides and a concave base. It contained three fills. Primary fill 450 was composed of a light brownish-red sandy-loam. Secondary fill 451 was composed of light reddishbrown sand. Upper fill 452 was amid brown sandy-silty-loam.

Ditch F453 measured 0.89m wide and 0.22m deep, with irregularly sloping sides and an irregular base. It contained two fills. Primary fill 454 was composed of light greyish-brown loamy-sand with abundantly occurring gravel and pebbles. Upper fill 455 was a light brownish-red silty-clay with abundantly occurring gravel and pebbles. The ditch was cut by possible posthole F449. Small post or stake hole F456 was positioned alongside ditch F453. It measured 0.21m long by 0.17m wide and 0.09m deep, with moderate to steeply sloping sides and a concave base. It contained a single fill (457) which was composed of dark brownish-red sand.

Features/deposits external to the enclosure
A series of layers (460-2, 469) external to the outer ditch F417 appear to be a mix of colluvium and subsoil spread by later agricultural activities. These layers contained prehistoric worked flints
but no other finds. Ditch F433 measured 1.80m wide and 0.40m deep, with moderately sloping concave sides, a concave base and it contained two fills. Primary fill 434 was composed of light greyish-brown silty-sand. Upper fill 435 was a mid reddish-brown sandy-loam. There were no finds and it cut layers 469 and 462. It is likely to be a drainage or boundary ditch of unknown date. Small ditch F463 was sealed underneath layer 462 and cut by ditch F433. It measured 0.85m wide and 0.48m deep, with moderately sloping convex sides and a flat base. It contained a single fill (464), a mid reddish-brown sandy-silt containing no finds. Small gully F465 measured 0.40m wide and 0.46m deep, with very steeply sloping straight sides and a concave base. It had a single fill (466) composed of dark reddish-brown silty-sand with Large amounts of fine gravel to pebble inclusions. It appears to have been purposefully filled in
with gravel in a single event and is possibly a small gully for drainage. It is sealed underneath layer 462 and cut by F467. Small gully F467 measured 0.92m wide and 0.54m deep, with very steeply sloping straight sides and a flat base. It contained a single fill (468), composed of dark reddish-brown silty-sand with very abundantly occurring fine gravel to pebble inclusions. It appears to have been purposefully filled with gravel in a single event and it is possibly a small gully for drainage. It is sealed underneath layer 462 and cut by ditch F433. Small ditch F470 measured 0.83m wide and 0.51m deep, with very steeply sloping straight sides and a flat base. It contained two fills, with primary fill 471 composed of mid red sandy clay. Upper fill 472 was a dark reddish-brown silty-sand with large amounts of fine gravel to pebbles. It appears to have been purposefully filled in with gravel and is possibly a small gully for drainage. It is sealed underneath layer 462 and cut by ditch F404. Ditch F473 continued beyond the end of the trench so only one side of it was exposed, while it was also cut by a modern land drain (F404). It measured more than 2m wide and 0.68m deep, with a moderately sloping concave side where seen and a slightly concave base. It contained two fills, with primary fill 474 composed of mid brown silty-loam. Upper fill 475 was a mid brownish-red silty-clay with commonly occurring gravel and pebble inclusions. Finds recovered comprised one piece of worked flint and one piece of animal bone.













A small quantity of slag of probable Late Iron Age to Early Romano-British date was recovered from inner enclosure ditch F406, including six small fragments of undiagnostic ironworking slag from fill 407 and a small piece of furnace lining from fill 413. A small quantity (<1g) of hammerscale was recovered from the palaeoenvironmental samples taken from inner ditch F406 (contexts 407 and 409).

Three bulk soil samples were taken from the fills of a rectilinear enclosure of Iron Age/Romano-British date. The samples were recovered from charcoal-rich fills within the enclosure inner and outer ditches (Trench 4). At least 50% of sample material was processed to assess the environmental potential.

A small piece (1g) of charred and possibly worked wood was recovered from the palaeoenvironmental samples from enclosure outer ditch F417 (context 418). This is a short length of round wood without bark, which has a rounded triangular profile, possibly caused by working or use as a formerly rod-shaped tool.

The results of the sample assessment are presented in Table 4. Environmental survival is generally good, with wood charcoal (including datable roundwood twig/thorn) and/or charred plant macrofossils (including grain), occurring in all three samples. Sample 1 (context 418) contained a higher concentration of charcoal (1000+ fragments), including well-preserved roundwood twigs/branches. Some of the larger charcoal fragments are identified as both oak and non-oak type. The sample was recovered from a discrete, charcoal-rich deposit within outer ditch F417 and may represent domestic wood fuel waste. In addition, a possible fragment of worked charred roundwood twig/stick (1-2 cm diameter) with no bark, was recovered from Sample 1.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds

• FDV6489 - ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
• FDV6491 - LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Undated)
• FDV6488 - OVEN (Late Iron Age to II - 100 BC to 200 AD)
• FDV6486 - SHERD (Late Iron Age to II - 100 BC to 200 AD)
• FDV6487 - SLAG (Late Iron Age to II - 100 BC to 200 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV7255 - Evaluation, Land at Creedy Bridge, Crediton (Ref: ACD1486/2/1)

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