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Summary

Earthworks of curvilinear banks and a ditch that define a curvilinear enclosure of potential Anglo-Saxon or medieval date, are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2016, surrounding a hilltop under Lifton Wood.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CURVILINEAR ENCLOSURE (VIII to Late Medieval - 701 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

The earthworks do not correspond with any curvilinear features in this location.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 24-NOV-2016 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

Curvilinear banks and a ditch are visible as earthworks.

Hegarty, C., Houghton, E., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 2 (Culture Recovery Fund project) (Interpretation). SDV364011.

Curvilinear banks and a ditch, between 3-8 metres wide, are visible as earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2016. The earthworks closely follow the contours of a prominent and steep-sloping hilltop, under cover of Lifton Wood. They define the south-east, south and south-west sides of a possible curvilinear enclosure. An extant field boundary at SX38508483 may define the northern side of this enclosure, suggesting that it occupied an area of circa 10 hectares and enclosed the earthworks of an Iron Age hillfort (MDV108533).
The earthworks do not correspond with any features shown in this location on the mid-19th century Parish Tithe Map, or on later available historic maps, nor are they closely in keeping with earthworks of a field system (MDV112193) that have also been recorded during this survey within Lifton Wood. The earthworks are not visible on other available aerial imagery owing to thick tree cover.
Given the strategic importance of Lifton in the late Anglo-Saxon period, it may be that the hillfort saw a period of reuse at this time, and that this enclosure was part of this reworking. A medieval origin is also, however, possible.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8356 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 2 (Culture Recovery Fund) (Ref: ACD2424)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.