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Summary

An embanked ditch, probably a leat of medieval to post-medieval date, is identifiable as an earthwork crossing the west-facing slopes of Crownhill Down. The earthworks are visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

The ditch corresponds in part with a drain.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4252-4254 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

An embanked ditch is visible

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5660-SX5760 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

An embanked ditch is identifiable.

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

Figure 3

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

The ditch corresponds in part with a drain.

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.

An embanked ditch is identifiable on aerial photographs of the 1940s and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017 as an earthwork crossing the west-facing slopes of Crownhill Down, from the Old Bottle Hill Leat in the east to the meeting of Down and enclosed field system in the west.
The ditch is 2 to 4m wide and most clearly embanked on the southern edge, although a slight lip may be visible on the north edge on the aerial photographs of 1946.
It is likely that this is the same earthwork previously interpreted as both a former road (MDV12921) and evidence of a field system (MDV47989), but the association with Old Bottle Hill Leat might support as interpretation as a leat, potentially of medieval to post-medieval date.
Part of the leat corresponds to a feature depicted on the Ordnance Survey Second Edition 25inch map, and this remains schematically depicted with the westernmost 260m of earthwork on the current Ordnance Survey MasterMap, annotated as a drain.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

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)
• EDV4559 - Archaeological Landscape of Crownhill Down and Riddding Down

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