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Summary

A linear bank of unknown date, possibly a field or enclosure boundary of medieval to post-medieval date, is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards and digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 as an earthwork on Crownhill Down. The earthwork has been destroyed by expansion of open cast mining on Crownhill Down.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Rectangular enclosure, probably part of post medieval field system, on Crownhill Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1362200
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/186

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4230-4231 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

A bank is visible as an earthwork.

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

A bank is visible as an earthwork.

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

Site visited on 3rd May 1979. A right angled field wall, ditched on the east side. Runs north-north-west from SX56636008 to a corner at SX56616014, then east-north-east to SX56666017. Length 130 metres, height 0.5 metres, width 1 metre.

Gilbertson, D. + Collis, J., 1982, Mapping Three Millennia of Settlement and Land Use on Crownhill Down, South West Dartmoor, 63 (Article in Serial). SDV362901.

Survey recorded right-angled wall plus apparent east wall surviving as a low bank running from approximately SX56746011 to SX56716015.

Gilbertson, D. + Collis, J., 1985, Linear Banks on Crownhill Down, Dartmoor, 63 (Article in Serial). SDV337244.

Survey recorded right-angled wall plus apparent east wall surviving as a low bank running from approximately SX56746011 to SX56716015.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, SX56SE (Cartographic). SDV336987.

Right angled section of wall recorded on 1985 interpretation.

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.

A bank is visible as a fragmentary earthwork.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5660 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

The bank has been destroyed by the expansion of open cast mining on Crownhill Down.

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

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.

Other details: Figure 3 and Crownhill Down Survey.

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.

A linear bank is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 and 1977 as a south-east to north-west aligned earthwork to the south of Crownhill Down. The bank is circa 2m wide and is visible crossing the west-facing slopes of Crownhill Down for circa 130m, turning approximately 90 degrees to the south-south- east at circa SX56606014.
The earthwork might be evidence of a rectilinear enclosure circa 75m by 60 m in size. Alternatively, it might have been part of widespread piecemeal enclosure across the Down in the medieval or post-medieval periods and could have been associated with similar earthwork banks visible to the south (MDV12665).
Very slight and fragmentary earthworks remained visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 but all remains have since been destroyed by the expansion of open cast mining on Crownhill Down.

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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