See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

A ditch or scarp, probably a trackway of post-medieval to 19th century date, is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards, on the north-west facing slopes overlooking Sheepham Brook, to south of Sheepham Bridge, Modbury. The earthwork remains clearly identifiable on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TRACKWAY (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The visible earthwork does not correspond with any feature depicted on the Tithe Map for Modbury.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

The visible earthworks do not correspond with any feature depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s 25inch First Edition map.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 RS 4098-4099 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

A curvilinear ditch or scarp is visible.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 15-JUL-2018 ACCESSED 22-APR-2020 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

A curvilinear ditch or scarp is visible.

Environment Agency, 2019, National Lidar Programme, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM 25-FEB-2019LIDAR Environment Agency DTM 25-FEB-2019 (Cartographic). SDV363691.

A curvilinear ditch or scarp is identifiable.

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 ditch or scarp approximately 3m wide and 370m long is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019, on the north-west facing slopes overlooking Sheepham Brook, to south of Sheepham Bridge.
The visible earthwork does not correspond with any feature depicted on the Tithe Map for Modbury and the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25inch map.
The proximity of a mill leat might support the interpretion of the earthwork as a former watercourse. However, the earthwork climbs and falls the combe slope making this function unlikely.
Although the earthwork is not aligned directly on a break or gate the field boundary at it’s north-eastern terminus, it seems more probable that it is the remains of a farm track, possibly one predating the line of the road.

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.