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Summary

A possible former farmstead or settlement, potentially of medieval to post-medieval date, might be represented by relict terraces, field boundaries and orchard banks identifiable as earthworks from visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019, on the south-facing slopes to the east of Tor Farm.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BUILDING PLATFORM (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• LYNCHET (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• ORCHARD (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The earthworks do not correspond with any features depicted on the Tithe Map for Aveton Gifford.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 2094-2095 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Banks, terraces and scarps are identfiable as earthworks.

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

Banks, terraces and scarps are identfiable as earthworks.Banks, terraces and scarps are identfiable 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.

A roughly triangular terrace approximately 35m by 60m in size is identifiable as an earthwork on on aerial photographs of 1946 and from visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019, cut into the south-facing slope to the north-east of Tor Farm at circa SX69515112. This is interpreted as a possible building platform.
Immediately downslope of the platform at least four scarps are identifiable, interpreted as the remains of former cultivation terraces or lynchets 6 to 12m wide. Further possible lynchet earthworks are identifiable circa 220m to the south-east at SX69705096.
A rectilinear enclosure circa 25m across is visible at circa SX69765098 abutting a dogleg in the adjacent field boundary.
Within this enclosure and extending for circa 210m to the north-west across adjacent plots, parallel banks or closely spaced ridges are identifiable, crossing the contours of the slope. The banks resemble those typical of post-medieval orchard cultivation.
The visible earthworks do not correspond with any features depicted on the Tithe Map for Aveton Gifford but are in keeping with the character of the surrounding medieval field pattern. This combination of relict features is interpreted as possibly evidence of a former farmstead or settlement, potentially of medieval to post-medieval date that were cleared by the early 19th century.

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)

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