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Summary

Former hedgebanks, Land at Exeter Hill Tiverton, Devon.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HEDGE BANK (XIX to World War II - 1801 AD to 1940 AD (Between))

Full description

Exeter Archaeology, 2006, Archaeological Assessment on Land at Exeter Hill Tiverton, Devon (Report - Assessment). SDV351653.

This report has been prepared by Exeter Archaeology (BA) to assess the potential archaeological implications of possible future development on land at Exeter Hill, Tiverton, Mid Devon (SS 96310 12122).

The proposed development site is of irregular shape in plan and measures 236m east-west by 31 7ra north-south. It covers an area of c. 4.8 hectares. The land rises from approximately 105m AOD at the north end of the site, to around 150m AOD to the south.

Comparison of the available maps show that significant re-organisation of the field layout took place between 1801-07 and 1842. With the exception of 145m of the site's west boundary hedgebank (against Exeter Hill). None of the existing field boundaries are of any antiquity. The field boundaries shown on the OS 1801-07 map that originally lay within the site comprise three, north-south field boundaries approximately 150m each, these occupy the northwest part of the site (SS 96253 12171 centre), further east-west field boundaries are also shown which range from 50m to 140m in length. These are located in various locations to the north, east and southwest parts of the site.

By the time of the Tithe (1842) the above described field pattern had been cleared away and replaced with the present pattern with minor amendments. Specifically, only one portion of field boundary, approximately 200m long and aligned northwest-southeast that was created between 1801-07 and 1842 was removed by 1889, the remaining boundaries as surveyed in 1889 are still extant. One further lOOm stretch of north-south aligned field boundary was added between 1905 and 1933 but was subsequently removed from the landscape sometime after the latter date.

Palaeoenvironmental deposits, such as buried soils or former land surfaces, may be preserved within the development site beneath hedgerows or former hedgerows or any associated ditch. Analysis of such deposits, especially when combined with dating evidence, can provide much information on past land use and human impact on the local environment such as closer dating for the enclosure of the 'open-fields'. The extent of survival is not known but given that hedgebanks have been removed it is less likely that significant deposits will have survived.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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