See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Linear banks, possibly field boundaries of medieval date, are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1977 on the west-facing slopes of Crownhill Down. The earthworks have probably been destroyed by modern open cast mining.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 910269
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX55NE/33

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Map object based on this Source.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1977, NMR 1130, NMR 1130/377-379 18-MAY-1977 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363090.

Banks are visible as earthworks.

Edwards, C., 1979, An archaeological survey of an area surrounding Hemerdon Ball (Report - Survey). SDV337241.

A section of medieval field wall runs south from SX56215944 to SX56145927. The field there is known as 'The Pits'. It cannot be traced beyond these points and no associated dwellings have been found in the vicinity. The wall is 185 metres long by 0.2 metres high and 0.5 metres wide.

Gilbertson, D. + Collis, J., 1982, Mapping Three Millennia of Settlement and Land Use on Crownhill Down, South West Dartmoor (Article in Serial). SDV362901.

Survey recorded an additional boundary wall leaving the main north-east to south-west wall at circa SX56175934, running south-east to circa SX56225930.

AMAX, 1982, The Hemerdon Project. Archaeological Sites (Plan - measured). SDV149232.

Devon County Council, 1982, Untitled Source (Plan - measured). SDV337246.

Gilbertson, D. + Collis, J., 1985, Linear Banks on Crownhill Down, Dartmoor (Article in Serial). SDV337244.

Survey recorded an additional boundary wall leaving the main north-east to south-west wall at circa SX56175934, running south-east to circa SX56225930.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, SX55NE (Cartographic). SDV337243.

Two walls seen. One extending from SX56205935 to SX56225946 where it meets an area of tin streaming. The second wall extends from SX56145927 to SX56215937 where it meets the first wall. The second bank crosses another bank at SX56145928. Map object based on this Source.

National Monuments Record, 2002, 910269 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV343914.

Numerous low earthen field banks, many with ditches on one side, lie on open moorland on the lower south-facing slopes of Crownhill Down. They are on average spread to 1.8 metres wide and are up to 0.7 metres high. None have been excavated but they are similar in form to other banks which have a Medieval origin. This part of the moor is covered by stands of dense mature gorse obscuring many of the features.

Fletcher, M., 2002, The Archaeological Landscape of Crownhill Down and Ridding Down: Survey Report, 5 (Report - Survey). SDV343412.

Other details: Figure 3 and Crownhill Down Survey. Map object based on this Source.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 22-JUN-2018 ACCESSED 04-JUL-2019 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

The earthworks have been destroyed by the expansion of opencast mining.

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.

Linear banks less than 2m wide are visible on aerial photographs of 1977 as roughly north-north-east to south-south-west aligned earthworks on the west-facing slopes of Crownhill Down. Visible for circa 170m from SX56155929 to SX56215943, the primary north-north-east to south-south-west earthwork doglegs to the east and is but by a second linear earthwork, possibly a drain, at circa SX56205914. A shorter, north-west to south-east aligned bank was visible perpendicular to the primary axis at circa SX56185935 for circa 20m.
The banks are interpreted as field boundaries of medieval date.
The earthworks have probably been destroyed by modern open cast mining.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4559 - Archaeological Landscape of Crownhill Down and Riddding Down
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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