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Summary

Parallel ridges were visible as subtle earthwork banks on digital images derived from lidar data captured from 1998 to 2014, on the east facing slopes south of Casehayes, Membury parish. The ridges might be the remains of ridge and furrow cultivation of medieval date or evidence a former orchard, potentially of medieval to post-medieval date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))
• 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.

The visible earthworks fall within plots 874, named as Five Acres and listed as under meadow cultivation.

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

The visible earthworks do not correspond with a plot depicted as an orchard.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST2604 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Parallel linear banks were visible as subtle earthworks.

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

Slightly curved parallel ridges were visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured from 1998 to 2014 as subtle earthwork banks over an area of circa 1.25ha, on the east facing slopes south of Casehayes, Membury parish.
The ridges resemble the banks made for fruit tree planting and improved drainage in Devon from the post-medieval to mid-19th century date, but at up to circa 10 metres apart the spacing is typical and the slight curvilinear form is unusual. The plot in which the banks were visible (Plot 874) is listed on the Tithe Apportionments for Membury as under meadow cultivation; any orchard in this location must have therefore passed out of use prior to circa 1840.
Alternatively, the slight curvilinear form of the subtle earthworks might support an interpretation as an area of ridge and furrow cultivation, probably of medieval origin.

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 ST2604 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014. [Mapped feature: #78684 ]
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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