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Summary

Archaeological investigation recorded a ditch at Winham Farm, southeast of a prehistoric ring ditch. Two sherds of prehistoric pottery were recovered from the ditch.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DITCH (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC (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 5
The natural substrate, was identified at a maximum depth of 0.47 metres. It was cut by a ditch and three pits. All features corresponded to anomalies on the geophysical survey.

A ditch located to the southeast of the ring ditch also contained early prehistoric pottery and an undated pit (see immediately to the south of this ditch may be of a similar date, vertically-sided pits are not uncommon on Neolithic sites and parallels have been cited in Devon at Hazard Hill and Hembury (Gent and Quinnell 1999, 85). The cropmarks in the vicinity of the Area of Archaeological Sensitivity, including enclosures ‘A’ and ‘B’ and associated features and the ring ditches and/or round barrows identified c. 1km to the east and west of the area, suggest that the ring ditches are located within a landscape of prehistoric activity.

The ditch was 1.73 metres wide and 0.76 metres deep, with moderately sloping sides breaking into a vertically-sided channel with a flat base (Fig. 8, section II). Primary fill 508 was overlain by sandy silt secondary fill 507, which contained two sherds of early prehistoric pottery. This fill contained charcoal flecks and a bulk sample was recovered for palaeoenvironmental analysis: The charcoal was identified as oak which appeared to represent discarded firing debris. Undated pit (511) was circular in plan, 1.45 metres in diameter and in excess of 1.22 metres deep, with near vertical sides (Fig. 8, section JJ). Safety considerations prevented the excavation of this feature to its full depth. Lower fill 512 comprised a yellow brown sandy silt, while stoney upper fill 510 may represent the deliberate backfilling of the feature.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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