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Summary

Rectilinear enclosure, the north, west and east sides of which were revealed in the 2017 excavation. Enclosure has east facing entrance and dates to the late Iron Age - Romano-British period. Measures 40m north-south by 44m east-west enclosing an area of around 0.18 hectares.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD (Between))

Full description

Rainbird, P. + Quinnell, H., 2018, The Excavation of a Late Iron Age and Romano-British Enclosure at Tews Lane, Fremington, near Barnstable, 117-119, figs 1-6 (Article in Serial). SDV364053.

Rectilinear enclosure measuring 40m north-south by 44m east-west enclosing an area of around 0.18 hectares. A large part of the enclosure ditch was uncovered, with east facing entrance and ditch terminals. No sign of an internal bank (perhaps destroyed by subsequent ploughing), but pits and post holes survived along with a large enigmatic ditch (MDV129815) on a different alignment to the enclosure. Nine segments of the enclosure ditch were excavated, all recut, but the original form of the ditch proved to have been V-shaped with a narrow flat base (2.8m wide, 1.35m deep). The re-cutting was wider and shallower (3.8m wide, 1.05m deep). Finds from the two ditch cuts suggest they are similar in date; mixed pottery assemblage dates to between the 1st century BC - early 2nd century AD, although four sherds of Medieval pottery suggest that parts of the ditch were still open at this time.
Eastern entrance gap measures 4.5m wide, with steep-sided, rounded ditch terminals. No post-holes present in the entrance area.
The enclosure contained a large number of postholes and pits, some of which likely represent structures. Additionally, this is the first published assemblage of late Iron Age ceramics in North Devon, dates ranging from the 1st century BC through to the early 2nd century AD. This type of enclosure is part of a group of well-known but usually undated small enclosures comprising an area of ground enclosed by a bank usually with a simple single entrance. Iron Age and Romano British in date, they are typically thought to have been local farmsteads.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8401 - Excavation on site west of Tews Lane, Fremington

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