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Summary

Linear pits and mounds, possibly prospecting pits of early to mid-20th century date, are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of the 1940s to the 1960s. The earthworks had been largely levelled and partly destroyed by the end of the 20th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PROSPECTING PIT (XX to XXI - 1904 AD to 2016 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4250-4251 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Earthwork pits and banks are visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1969, OS/69296, OS/69296 V 016-017 29-JUN-1969 (Aerial Photograph). SDV361475.

Earthwork pits and banks are visible.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5859 01-JUN-2002 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

The pits and banks have been largely levelled and partly destroyed.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5859 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

The pits and banks have probably been entirely levelled or destroyed.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Roughly rectilinear pits, on average 5m long and 2m wide, are visible as earthworks of the 1940s to the 1960s extending in a south-west to north-east aligned line for circa 675m across the south-facing slopes of Headon Down. The pits are flanked by mounds of roughly comparable size, probably spoil, alternating to the north and south of the pits in a staggered arrangement. The exception is the very south-west end of the line where a single narrow pit or trench circa 74m long is visible, closely flanked by spoil mounds, one to the north-west of the pit and the southern end, the second on the south-east side to the northern end of the pit.
The function of the pits is unclear from the aerial photographs alone, but the regular arrangement and scale of the earthworks is suggestive of mineral prospective pits. The earthworks are not depicted on the Ordnance Survey Second Edition 25inch map and are interpreted as dating from the first half of the 20th century.
The longer pit and bank earthworks at the south-west end of the line remain visible for circa 100m on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2002 whilst circa 130m of the north-eastern end had probably been destroyed. The remainder appear to have been levelled. The south-western earthworks have either been obscured or destroyed by quarrying activity by 2016.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• 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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