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Summary

Prospecting pits of medieval to post medieval date are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards and digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014, as earthworks on the western edge of Crownhill Down. The earthworks have probably been partly destroyed by modern open cast mining.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1361802
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX55NE/60

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PROSPECTING PIT (XV to Post Medieval - 1401 AD to 1750 AD)
• (Former Type) TRIAL PIT (XV to Post Medieval - 1450 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, 106G/UK/1190, 3252-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV170515.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 1126-1127 10-DEC-1946 – better (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Pits are visible as earthworks.

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

Map object previously based on this Source.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1978, NMR 1247, NMR 1247/141-142 31-MAY-1978 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363091.

Pits are visible as earthworks.

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

Site visited on 12th July 1979. An area of old trial pits measuring 80 metres by 25 metres extends south-east from the east wall of Hooksbury Wood at SX56015977 to SX56095975 the largest being centred at SX56065975. To the south lies an area of medieval streaming known as the 'Pits' and to the west on the west bank of the Tory Brook lies Wheal Sidney Tin Mine. Average pit length 12 metre, width 6 metres and depth 2 metres.

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

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

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

Scatter of trial pits extending from the north at SX56045975 to the south at SX56045963 visible aerial photograph. Map object previously based on this Source.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5659 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Pits are visible as earthworks.

National Monuments Record, 2002, 1361802 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV343963.

Tin pits on the western side of Crownhill Down on open moorland just outside the Hooksbury Wood enclosures. The pits are arranged in an approximate alignment running south-south-east to north-north-west but at the northern end the pits form a cluster. The pita vary in size between 2 and 4 metres diameter. Most are shallow and now filled with silt. All have crescentric spoil collars on the downslope side. Likely to be prospecting or 'trial' pits and though not documented are likely to be Post Medieval between 1450 and 1740. Other details: NMR Number SX55NE31.

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

Group of trial pits shown on survey map. 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 largely 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.

Oval, roughly circular and irregularly shaped pits from circa 3m to circa 17m across are visible as earthworks on the western edge of Crownhill Down on aerial photographs of 1946. Crescents of spoil are visible on the downslope edge of most pits.
The smaller pits define an irregular south-south-west to north-north-west aligned group from circa SX56025962 to SX56055973, culminating at circa SX56065975 in a cluster of larger pits.
The earthworks are interpreted as prospecting pits of medieval to post medieval date.
Most have probably been partly destroyed by the expansion of modern open cast mining, although a small number might survive at circa SX56035976.

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)

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