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Summary

Earthwork pits, probably prospecting pits of 18th to 19th century date, are visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s to 1960s on the south-facing slopes of Hemerdon Ball, Sparkwell. The pits have been partly destroyed by modern quarrying.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks of Post-medieval Mining and Medieval field system, south of Hemerdon Ball

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PROSPECTING PIT (XVII to XIX - 1700 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4248-4249 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Three pits are visible as earthworks.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 1128-1129 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Three pits are visible as earthworks.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5758 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Three pits are visible as earthworks.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5758 01-JUN-2002 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

The pits are obscured by scrub vegetation.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 08-AUG-2015 ACCESSED 31-JUL-2019 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

A pit is visible as an earthwork; two have probably been destroyed.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Three earthwork pits are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 on the south-facing slopes of Hemerdon Ball. The pits measure between 4 to 8m across, are spaced 13 and 50m apart and are surrounded by low banks of upcast material.
They are interpreted as prospecting pits of 18th to 19th century date.
The pits were obscured from view by scrub vegetation on images of 2002 but remained visible as earthworks on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.
The two easternmost pits had probably been destroyed by modern mining by August 2015 but the westernmost pit possibly survives as an earthwork.

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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