See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Embanked ditches, probably field boundaries of medieval to post-medieval date, are identifiable as earthworks forming a dispersed field system on the north-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

• FIELD SYSTEM (XV to Post Medieval - 1401 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

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

The visible earthworks do not correspond with any pit depicted on the Tithe Map for Shaugh Prior and Plympton St Mary.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4252-4253 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Linear banks and ditches are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1951, RAF/540/483, RAF/540/483 RS 4356-4357 24-APR-1951 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352103.

Linear banks and ditches are visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1969, OS/69296, OS/69296 V 018-019 29-JUN-1969 (Aerial Photograph). SDV361475.

Linear banks and ditches are visible.

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

Linear banks and ditches are visible.

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.

Embanked ditches are identifiable on aerial photographs of the 1940s and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017 as earthworks crossing the north-west-facing slopes of Crownhill Down, overlooking the Torycombe Valley.
The banks and ditches range from 2 to 4m wide and up to circa 100m long.
They do not correspond with any features depicted on the 19th century maps available to the survey but a right-angled bank at circa SX57006056 is aligned on field boundaries in the enclosed land to the north-west. Whilst they do not form complete enclosures, this earthwork with another at circa SX57086060 are indicative of defined plots. This might support an interpretation as the remains of field boundaries, potentially representing a phase of piecemeal enclosure onto Crownhill Down during the later medieval to post-medieval periods. It had probably passed out use prior to the 1840s. Similar features are visible to the north.

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)

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