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Summary

Archaeological investigation recorded a small number of ditches which may represent a coaxel field system. Roman pottery sherds were recovered from the fills of the ditches.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DITCH (III to IV - 201 AD to 400 AD (Between))

Full description

Riley, R., 2014, Winham Farm, Cullompton, Devon: Archaeological Evaluation (Report - Evaluation). SDV357640.

An archaeological evaluation undertaken at Winham Farm found evidence for early prehistoric activity in the form of two ring ditches and a ditch. A co-axial field system and a possible drying oven were identified in the western part of the area and produced finds broadly dating to the late Roman period.

Trench 1
A ditch feature that corresponded to a geophysical anomaly was recorded. It measured 2.06 metres wide and 0.7 metres deep, with a ‘V’-shaped profile, moderately-sloping sides and a concave base (Fig. 4, section BB). It contained primary fill 107 which contained two sherds of 4th century AD pottery. Secondary fill 108 and third sand clay fill 109 were devoid of artefactual evidence. Both features were sealed by subsoil 101, which was covered by topsoil 100.

Trench 3
The natural substrate, was identified at a maximum depth of 0.42 metres. It was cut by north west/south-east aligned ditch 303 and northeast/south-east aligned ditch 308, both of which correspond to anomalies on the geophysical survey. It is probable that the two cropmarks identified in the vicinity of Trench 3 correspond to the geophysical anomalies (one, to the west, is a recent field
boundary) but that there are discrepancies in the mapping/plotting.

Ditch 308 was partially exposed at the western extent of the trench to a width of 1.77 metres. The south-eastern side had a shallow slope breaking in to a more moderate slope towards a concave base (Fig. 6, section FF). Primary fill had a sandy silt composition and the secondary fill was stoney and contained charcoal flecks, suggesting an episode of deliberate backfilling once the ditch had gone out of use. A single rimsherd of Dorset Black-burnished ware dating to the 2nd to 4th centuries AD and twelve sherds of 4th-century AD pottery were recovered from the secondary fill. Both features were sealed by subsoil, which was covered by topsoil.

The ditches recorded in trench 2 and 3 are likely to represent parts of a Roman co-axial field system identified by the earlier geophysical survey. The pottery recovered suggest a Late Roman date.

Busby, P., 2017, Winham Farm, Cullompton: Archaeological Excavation (Report - Excavation). SDV361601.

An archaeological excavation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology between November 2015 and January 2016 during groundworks associated with the construction of a solar farm at Winham Farm, Cullompton, Devon. The archaeological works identified a substantial number of archaeological features corresponding with anomalies detected by geophysical survey, and confirmed the results of the preceding evaluation.

In the western part of the site, ditches A, B and F (and possibly the undated ditch 3009) comprised parts of a probable Roman co-axial field system identified by the geophysical survey. The features below represent part of this possible field system.

Trench 1.1
The north-east/south-west orientated ditch, 1005 (ditch A), corresponded with a linear anomaly from the preceding geophysical survey and had investigated during the previous evaluation (CA 2014, paragraph 2.11, ditch 308). It was 1.3 metres in width by 0.47 metres in depth, and had a V-shaped profile and concave base (Fig. 5, section BB). Its silty sand fill, 1006, contained seven sherds of Roman pottery.

Trench 2.1
In the western end of the trench, north-west/south-east orientated ditch, 2007, part of ditch B, was identified but not excavated. The ditch matched with a linear anomaly from the geophysical survey. It was 4.07 metres in width and contained sandy clay fill 2008; during surface cleaning, three sherds of Vein-quartz tempered pottery (total weight 3g) and a flint blade dating to the Early Neolithic were recovered. May be associated with the coaxial field system.

Trench 3.1
At the eastern end of the trench was north-west/south-east orientated ditch 3011 (part of ditch B). It was 2.95 metres in width and contained silty sand fill 3012. This ditch was excavated in Trench 3 of the evaluation (CA 2014, paragraphs 2.9 and 10, ditch 303).

Trench 4.1
North-west/south-east orientated ditch 4010 (part of ditch B) was located in the western end of the trench. It was 2.22 metres in width and contained fill 4009.

Trench 5.1
North-west/south-east orientated ditch 5003 (part of ditch B) was located in the western end of the trench, corresponding with a geophysical anomaly. It was 2.24 metres in width and a fragment of greyware pottery, broadly dated to the Roman period, was recovered from the surface of its sandy clay fill, 5002. It was not excavated

Trench 6.1
North-west/south-east orientated ditch 6009 (part of ditch B) was located in the western end of the trench, corresponding with a geophysical anomaly. It contained sandy clay fill 6010, and was 2.45m in width.

Trench 7.1
In the central part of Trench 7.1, north-west/south-east aligned ditch, 7002, was identified. Ditch 7002 correlated well with a linear geophysical anomaly, and was also observed in Trenches 8.1 and 9.1 forming ditch F. It was 0.76 metres in width by 0.44 metres in depth with moderate sloping sides and a concave base (Fig. 7, section EE). It contained two fills, 7003 and 7004. The lower fill, 7003, was light grey silty sand and the upper fill, 7004, was charcoal-rich brown silty sand. Six sherds of Roman pottery were recovered from upper fill 7004. A bulk sample was taken from fill 7004: a small quantity of charred plant remains, probably result of dumping domestic settlement waste, was recovered.

Trench 8.1
The undated, north-west/south-east aligned ditch 8006 (part of ditch F) was located in the eastern part of the trench and had been identified in a nearby evaluation trench (CA 2014, paragraph 2.5, ditch
106), where interventions recovered pottery of Roman date. It was 0.95 metres in width by 0.59 metres in depth with a ‘U’ shaped profile and a concave base (Fig. 8, section GG). It contained two fills: lower silty sand 8007 on western side of the cut and an upper silty sand fill 8008 on the eastern side of the cut.

Trench 9.1
North-west/south-east aligned ditch 9002 (part of ditch F) was located in the eastern part of the trench, and corresponded to a geophysical anomaly. It had a V-shaped profile measuring 1.03 metres in width by 0.47 metres in depth, which contained an undated silty sand fill.

Trench 10.1
North-west/south-east aligned ditch 10020 (part of ditch B) was located towards the western end of the trench, and corresponded to a geophysical anomaly. It had a Vshaped profile measuring 3.6 metres in width and 1.2 metres in depth (Fig. 10, section LL), and contained three undated fills: 10021, 10022 and 10023. Primary, silty sand fill 10021 was overlain by silty sand fill 10022. This was in turn sealed by silty sand fill 10023.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6646 - Archaeological Evaluation at Winham Farm, Cullompton (Ref: 4871)
• EDV7631 - Excavation: Winham Farm, Cullompton (Ref: 16251)

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