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Summary

The remains of parallel ridges were visible as low earthwork banks on digital images derived from lidar data captured in 2016, on the west-facing slopes to the south-east of Moxhayes Farm, Membury parish. The banks were probably made for improved drainage in the post-medieval to mid-19th century date, possibly for orchard tree planting.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Plot 1147, later absorbed into the larger adjacent plot 1148, was depicted and listed as an orchard named The Orchard. The two larger plots in which banks were visible, 1146 and 1148, were listed as pasture.

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

The plot was not depicted as an orchard. Two mature trees were shown within the northern plot.

Bluesky International, 2016, LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects, LIDAR ST2506 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359714.

Linear earthwork banks were visible on two slightly different orientations.

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

The remains of parallel ridges up to circa 10 metres apart were visible as subtle earthwork banks on digital images derived from lidar data captured in 2016, on two slightly different orientations in two fields to the south-east of Moxhayes Farm, Membury parish. In total the earthworks covered an area of circa 1.5 ha.
The visible earthworks closely resemble those recorded elsewhere in Devon interpreted as the remains of tree planting banks made to improve drainage in traditional orchards, although were slightly more widely spaced than is typical.
The plots in which the banks are visible were largely not depicted as orchards on the 19th century maps available to the survey. However, a small sub-division within the northern plot remained shown as an orchard on the Tithe map for Membury and a few mature trees remained depicted on the OS First Edition 25 inch map. This might support the interpretation that orchards were previously more widespread in these plots and had been reduced prior to the 1840s.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
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
SDV359714	Cartographic: Bluesky International. 2016. LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects. Not applicable. Digital. LIDAR ST2506 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014. [Mapped feature: #78495 ]
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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