See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A field boundary of possible later prehistoric to Roman date is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs of 1984, on the south-facing slopes west of Oakpark Wood, Ashcombe.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD BOUNDARY (Early Iron Age to Roman - 700 BC to 409 AD)
• FIELD BOUNDARY? (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1840 AD)

Full description

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

The visible cropmarks do not correspond with any boundaries depicted on the Tithe map for Ashcombe.

Devon County Council, 1984, DAP/AQ, Devon County Council DAP/AQ 2A-5 02-JUL-1984 (Aerial Photograph). SDV286385.

A curvilinear cropmark of a ditch is visible.

Price, J., 1992, British Gas PLC. Ottery St. Mary - Ashcombe Pipeline. Geophysical Survey Report, Site 7 (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV348101.

Geophysical surveys carried out on seven sites along the proposed route of the Ottery St Mary to Ashcombe gas pipeline where aerial photos have recorded archaeological sites.
A long linear feature running north-south was recorded in Site 7 (Ashcombe) which corresponds with cropmarks on arial photographs. The slightly reversed S shape is characteristic of medieval ploughing so may represent a field boundary or drainage ditch laid out on the medieval ridge and furrow pattern.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2018-2019, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M) (Interpretation). SDV361305.

A curvilinear cropmark of a ditch circa 2m wide and over 210m long is visible as a north-south aligned cropmark on aerial photographs of 1984, on the south-facing slopes west of Oakpark Wood, Ashcombe.
Although potentially in keeping with the character of the historic field pattern which has been characterised as of medieval origin, the cropmarks do not correspond with any boundaries depicted on the 19th maps available the survey. The cropmarks are interpreted as evidence of enclosure possibly of later prehistoric to Roman date, potentially associated with complex cropmarks visible immediately to the south-west (MDV29550).

Sources / Further Reading

SDV286385	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1984. DAP/AQ. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). Devon County Council DAP/AQ 2A-5 02-JUL-1984. [Mapped feature: #114786 ]
SDV348101	Report - Geophysical Survey: Price, J.. 1992. British Gas PLC. Ottery St. Mary - Ashcombe Pipeline. Geophysical Survey Report. British Gas Plc. 2/92. A4 Stapled + Digital. Site 7.
	Linked documents:1
SDV359954	Cartographic: South West Heritage Trust. 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments. Tithe Map and Apportionment. Digital.
SDV361305	Interpretation: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2018-2019. The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M). Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7515 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey: Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (Ref: ACD1748)
• EDV5519 - Geophysical survey on the proposed route of a gas pipeline between Ottery St Mary and Ashcombe (Ref: 2/92)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.