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Summary

Curvilinear Enclosure, Black Torrington. Approximately 150 metres at its widest point on the west side, narrowing to almost a point to the east and is approximately 322 metres across. The enclosure is visible on the circa 1840 Black Torrington tithe map and incorporates the parish church. The enclosure has remained the same when compared to modern maps with additions of buildings being the main change.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1105121: CHURCH OF ST MARY

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CURVILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Early Iron Age to Post Medieval - 700 BC (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Curvilinear enclosure visible on the circa 1840 tithe map. Notable field names documented in the contemporary tithe apportionment are Horse Park Orchard (plot 132), Little Horse Park (plot 131) and Church Yard (plot 126). Other names relate to orchards, gardens and dwellings.

Environment Agency WMS, 2022, Environment Agency LIDAR Composite DTM 2022 - 1m (Cartographic). SDV365447.

Earthwork of curvilinear enclosure visible.

Horner, B., 2023, Curvilinear Ditched Enclosure (Interpretation). SDV365760.

The boundary that makes up the curvilinear enclosure appears to almost align with the plateau contours and could have origins as early as the Late Iron Age. The enclosure may have been intermittently used as an animal pound from this period onwards. The circa 1840 tithe apportionment plot names, Horse Park Orchard and Little Horse Park certainly indicates this use at least during the post-medieval period.

The enclosure may have also originated as a Stow, an early ecclesiastical enclosure. The parish church is at least 15th century in date and contains 14th century fabric.

Garrett, K., 2023, Cuvilinear Ditched Enclosure, Black Torrington (Interpretation). SDV365759.

The enclosure was observed on lidar imagery and is oval in appearance and raised up above the hill with a surrounding ditch. The northern part is two long thin fields with banks separating them.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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