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Summary

Evidence of peat cutting of possible medieval to 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s and 1970s and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 as shallow but extensive rectilinear earthwork pits on the north-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor, near the head of the Blacka Brook.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PEAT CUTTING (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223 Vp2 5143-5144 12-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352279.

Shallow rectilinear hollows were visible as earthworks.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1977, NMR 1125, NMR 1125/346-348 14-APR-1977 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363333.

Shallow rectilinear hollows were visible as earthworks.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5763 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

Shallow rectilinear hollows were identifiable as earthworks.

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.

Shallow but extensive rectilinear pits are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 and 1977 amongst areas of less well defined but no less earthwork surface ground disturbance on the north-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor, near the head of the Blacka brook.
The regularity of the pit edges and their organisation across the contours of the slope precludes a natural origin for these features.
It is probable that the earthworks are the remains of an extractive activity, probably peat cutting of medieval to 19th century date. It is possible that the peat extraction was to provide fuel for tin processing in this area.
Due to the subtle nature of these earthworks it was not possible to accurately transcribe all of the visible features, and a possible boundary was defined using an ‘extent of area’ polygon. This area is an approximation based on interpretation of the currently available evidence and the earthworks might be more extensive. Further work is required to define the full extent of this activity.
The rectilinear pits remain identifiable on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013.
Further areas of possible peat cutting are visible to the north.

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)

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