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Summary

A fragmentary field system of probable medieval to post-medieval data is visible the west side of Crownhill Down as earthwork banks and ditches on aerial photographs of the 1940s to the 1970s. Subtle earthworks remain visible on images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 but have subsequently been partly destroyed by modern open cast mining.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1362200
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1362200
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/185
• Pastscape: 1362200

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (XVI to XVIII - 1540 AD to 1749 AD)

Full description

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

Linear banks and ditches are visible as earthworks.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1978, NMR 1247, NMR 1247/134-135 31-MAY-1978 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363091.

Linear banks and ditches 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. A Medieval field system runs north-east from SX56255998 to SX56396021, where it disappears in a maze of modern trackways. Ditched, earth and stone. Wall length 260 metres.

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

Medieval field system partly delineated by prehistoric boundary.

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

Medieval field system partly delineated by prehistoric boundary.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5659-SX5660 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Linear banks and ditches are visible as subtle earthworks.

National Monuments Record, 2002, 1362200 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV343729.

The fragmentary remains of a field system of probable Post Medieval origin occupy a flattish area on a north-west facing hillslope on the west side of Crownhill Down.

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

During the Medieval period parts of Crownhill Down were enclosed by earthen field banks. The Prehistoric reave system was at least partially incorporated into this Medieval scheme. The earthen banks were usually dithced on one side with an average spread of 1.9 metres wide and up to 0.7 metres high. Other details: Figure 3 and Crownhill Down Survey.

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

The earthworks have been largely destroyed.

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 and ditches are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1947 and 1978 on the north-west edge of Crownhill Down. The earthworks define a roughly rectilinear field pattern and appear to represent piecemeal enclosure of the Down extending south from the medieval field pattern to the north. The visible earthworks do not correspond with any boundaries depicted on the Tithe Map for Shaugh Prior and therefore were removed prior to the 1840s.
A section of ditch located at circa SX56185990 (MDV12692) has previously been recorded as a section of field boundary and might be associated with the boundaries recorded here, but it has been reinterpreted as potentially evidence of tin prospecting of medieval to post-medieval date. It is probable that the relict field pattern predates the tin prospecting activity.
Subtle earthworks remain visible on images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 but have subsequently been partly 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)

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