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Summary

A roughly oval or rectangular prehistoric enclosure has been identified by field and aerial survey, as part of a wider field system and hut circle settlement on the south-west facing slopes east of Cholwich Town, Cornwood. The enclosure is clearly identifiable from visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• OVAL ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 42 AD (Between))
• CLEARANCE CAIRN (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD)

Full description

Berry, N. + Simmonds, T., 1996, An Archaeological Survey of Boro Wood (SX7571), Erme Wood (SX6357), Wistmans Wood (SX6177) and Newpark Waste (SX5961), 35, NW42, sketch plan (Report - Survey). SDV360518.

SX5949 6196 – Enclosure and field walls
Well-preserved enclosure and field walls sharing a north-west by south-east alignment. Roughly rectangular enclosure, dimensions 40 metres by 27 metres. Three sides of the enclosure fall within the survey area, being defined by boulder alignments which survive to two courses in places, and to the south by a scarp. A probable entrance may be discerned in the east/south-east wall and possibly also in the southern wall, about halfway along. This enclosure is free of stone, although centrally placed within its area is a clearance cairn (measures 3.5 metres by 1.2 metres).

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5961 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Earthwork banks are identifiable.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

A roughly oval or rectangular enclosure approximately 45m long and 25m wide, defined by earthwork banks 2 to 4m wide, is identifiable on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017 under tree cover on the south-west facing slopes east of Cholwich Town.
The north-east edge of the enclosure either abuts or has been incorporated into a boundary bank, part of the wider settlement and associated field system of probable Bronze Age to Iron Age date, recorded as MDV79188.
A break visible approximately halfway along the south-west facing boundary, adjacent to a possible hut circle that abuts or forms part of this boundary (MDV126934) might be evidence of an entrance. The erosion pattern across the enclosure might indicate that this, however, is formed by later access to the field to the north-east.
A mound circa 7 by 6m within the enclosure is probably the remains of a clearance cairn, possibly contemporary with the enclosure but potentially related to medieval reuse of the earlier field system.
The enclosure has been transcribed as part of MDV79189.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7444 - Survey of Newpark Waste and Boro, Erme and Wistmans Woods
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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