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Summary

Archaeological investigation recorded linear features across the site, which represent field systems, possibly more than one phase.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Roman to Post Medieval - 43 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Smith, W. + Rainbird, P., 2015, Land at Riverside (East of Steamer Quay Road) Totnes: Excavation (Report - Excavation). SDV360875.

An archaeological excavation on land at Riverside (East of Steamer Quay Road), Totnes, Devon (SX 8104 5981), was undertaken by AC archaeology during September 2014 and June- July 2015. Three areas were excavated centred on a series archaeological features identified during previous trial trenching.

In Area A, the shallow linear features may represent remnants of a small field system, possibly with more than one phase. All features had, however, been heavily truncated by ploughing. No finds were recovered from any of the ditches so it was not possible to date them with any certainty although the pit furnace recorded during the previous trial trenching was located within the area enclosed by these features. It is possible, therefore, that the gullies are contemporary with the pit furnace (i.e. 4th-6th century AD) although this association is tentative. Ditch F131 is a component of a pattern of field boundaries interpreted from the geophysics results.

Six sherds of locally produced pottery of late Romano-British date were recovered from ditch F1118 in Area B and it is possible that this feature represents evidence for small-scale land division dating to this period (c. mid-3rd to 4th century AD). A series of short linear features on the same alignment and parallel to F1118, located to the north (F1116 and F1119) and one to the south (F1120) may be associated with F1118, although this association was not firmly established. However, the Romano-British pottery represents only two sherds from a single pot and are much abraded so it is significant to note these ditches lay perpendicular to long boundary ditch F1028 which contained a sherd of medieval pottery; most probably this provides the earliest date for the square field formed by F1118, F1119, F1028 and F1120. Ditch F1028 was a clear feature marking a former field boundary in the geophysical survey results and matches a field boundary to the east that was extant until at least the 1970s. Ditch
F1076 was undated. Ditch F1116 was cut from the level of subsoil and must be more recent, but tellingly it follows the same orientation indicating that this pattern was still extant when the ditch was cut.

In Area C ditches F2062, F2063, F2066 correspond with field boundaries recorded during the previous trial trenching and at that time were tentatively dated to the medieval period (Hughes et al. 2012). It is now clear, despite the recovery of the medieval coin from F2062, that these features are post-medieval in date and share their orientation with the extant field boundary to the north. The presence of late 20th century refuse in re-cut F2064 of ditch F2063 indicates that this boundary persisted into relatively recent times; indeed, it is shown on historic mapping from the 1841 tithe map until the 1970s. The series of large stones set in shallow cuts may represent the remnants of a hedgebank or wall associated with ditch F2065. The presence of post-medieval pottery in one of the cuts suggests that this boundary would have been of relatively recent date. Ditch F2065 pre-dated large pit F2023 and may have promoted the development of erosion gully F2054. Two postholes and two unexcavated postholes recorded in deposit 2049 are of post-medieval/modern date, although their function remains unclear. They are located in close proximity to erosion gully F2067.

During medieval and post-medieval times the area was used as fields for agricultural purposes. Many of the field boundaries have been removed up to very recent times to provide larger fields that have been used for agricultural purposes. This modern agricultural use has caused damage to the archaeological remains through ploughing, particularly in Area A at the highest point of the site.

Totnes is regarded as a late Saxon establishment (Dyer and Allen 2004) although some finds of the period are known from the town (Devon HER MDV41986). The possibility of a significant settlement of Romano-British date in the vicinity of Totnes, at the lowest bridging point of the River Dart has found recent support in the excavation of a Roman road at Ipplepen, 7.5km to the northeast, which heads in the general direction of Totnes (MDV81301). The evidence does not, however, indicate intensive use of the site during this period and is rather more characteristic of small scale rural activity.

Please see report for full descriptions of features.

Map object based on this souce.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7514 - Excavation: Land at Riverside (East of Steamer Quay Road) Totnes (Ref: ACD975/2/1)

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