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Summary

The enclosure consists of two discontinuous concentric banks defining a horseshoe-shaped area 180 metres east of Putts Corner, and forms part of a round barrow cemetery on Gittisham Hill. Faintly visible on images derived from lidar data captured in 2016.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014252: An enclosure and two bowl barrows 180m east of Putts Corner, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Gittisham Hill

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY19NW/42
• Old SAM Ref: 27407

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

Griffith, F. M., 06/09/1991, DAP/UR, 1-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336581.

Royal Air Force, 11/04/1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, 1476-7; HER 38/16 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349479.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1981-1982, SY19NW26 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV117733.

A banked and ditched enclosure about 60 yards in diameter is visible on air photographs at SY14779625, adjoining a group of round barrows and just to the north of an old road.
Site visit 30th March 1982. Enclosure barely perceptible under bracken was surveyed subsequent to swaleing at the end of this month. When burnt off it was found to comprise two roughly concentric turf banks 2.5 - 3.5 metres wide and 0.1 - 0.3 metres high. The interspace 4.0 - 6.0 metres wide has the appearance of a scrape-up area. Overall diameter 65.0 metres. Internal diameter 50 metres. No definite entrance but it pre-dates the round barrow MDV10936.

Griffith, F. M., 1983, DAP/D, 7a-8a (Aerial Photograph). SDV120081.

Wardle, C. J., 1991, Earthwork Ring Ditch Enclosure (Worksheet). SDV117735.

Defined by vegetation/bracken mark in August-September 1991. Absence of bracken on south side (opposite MDV10935) suggests the possibility of an entrance. Another gap exists on the west side.

Simpson, S. J. + Noble, S., 1993, Archaeological Survey and Management Study of Areas on Gittisham Hill, Farway Hill, and Broad Down, East Devon (Report - Survey). SDV123162.

Site visit on 2nd November 1992. Difficult to make out in bracken growth. Probably stable. Swaths of bracken are being cut in this area in connection with cover management for pheasant shooting. Visible when standing on MDV10937.

English Heritage, 1996, An enclosure and two bowl barrows 180m east of Putts Corner, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Gittisham Hill (Schedule Document). SDV123163.

The monument is situated in south east Devon, 8km south of Honiton, on the high ground of an extensive Greensand plateau where it forms the watershed of the south-flowing River Sid. It includes an enclosure, two bowl barrows forming part of the Gittisham Hill round barrow cemetery, and the archaeologically sensitive area of ground between them. It is situated within an area of heathland on level ground on Gittisham Hill. The enclosure consists of two discontinuous concentric banks defining a horseshoe-shaped area 50m north-south by 45m east-west. The banks survive to a width of between 1m and 3.5m, and vary in height correspondingly between 0.1m and 0.3m. The banks are at their most substantial in the south west sector of the enclosure. The distance between the banks varies between 2m-6m, and the slightly lower ground surface suggests the presence of an infilled ditch. On the east side no earthworks are visible and the banks appear to have been destroyed in that area. The overall size of the enclosure is about 70m north-south by 60m east-west. The enclosure was discovered early in 1982 and was later surveyed when the heather had been swaled. A small bowl barrow consisting of a mound of evenly rounded profile, 11m in diameter and c.1m in height, lies in the SSW of the interior of the enclosure. There is no evidence that it was surrounded by a ditch. The south west edge of the mound lies on the alignment of the inner bank of the enclosure. The area of ground between the enclosure and the south eastern barrow is archaeologically sensitive in that it will contain burials, evidence of related activity, and archaeological evidence for a chronological relationship between the enclosure and the barrow.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, 18, Part 1; 125, Part 2: Gazetteer, Site No. 291 (Report - Survey). SDV101648.

A bivallate enclosure was identified and surveyed in 1982. The enclosure comprises two roughly concentric turf banks 2.5 metres–3.5 metres wide by 0.1 metre–0.3 metre high, lying 2 metres–6 metres apart. The overall diameter of the enclosure is circa 60 metres–70 metres. No definite entrance was identified. The banks are most pronounced in the southwest sector. The enclosure predates a barrow which is incorporated into it (site 292), and has been assigned a Bronze Age date. The enclosure and the incorporated barrow, along with another barrow (site 295) form SAM 27407.

During the field survey the south-west side of the enclosure was visible as two low concentric banks up to 6 metres apart (centre to centre), up to 0.2 metres high by up to 3 metres wide. Banks traced (from south-west edge of barrow) for circa 30 metres curving to north-west then north-north-west, after which banks became imperceptible. Feature difficult to define under long tussocky grass. Remainder of enclosure not detected.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 291 (Archive - Survey). SDV358490.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 291 (Report - Survey). SDV359019.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2489. (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Earthwork.
Bivallate enclosure circa 70 metres maximum diameter and incorporating barrow.

Jones, A. M. + Quinnell, H., 2008, The Farway Barrow Complex in East Devon Reassessed, 53 (Article in Serial). SDV344746.

Situated at the western end of the Gittisham Hill barrow group. The enclosure is circular in plan with an external diameter of circa 60 metres. It is comprised of two concentric embanked rings spaced about 10 metres apart which survive to a height of 0.1-0.3 metres. It is similar to Farway Castle and the fact that it is partly overlain by a round barrow suggests that it may date to the earlier part of the Bronze Age.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 91 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems. Declining. Principal vulnerability plant growth.

Riley, H., 2013, Metric Survey of a Possible Neolithic Enclosure on Gittisham Hill, Devon, 2-8 (Report - Survey). SDV352082.

Norman Quinnell discovered the enclosure during fieldwork for the Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division in early March 1982, when it was described as ‘barely perceptible under tufty grass and bracken’. He surveyed the enclosure and interpreted the earthworks as a Bronze Age ritual monument with a round barrow overlying the inner bank. By the 1990s vegetation once again obscured the enclosure. In the autumn of 1991 it was ‘defined by bracken and vegetation’ and in November 1992 the enclosure was ‘difficult to make out in bracken growth’. A proposal that the enclosure should be scheduled was made in 1993 and in 1996 it was scheduled. In 2003 the site was difficult to define under long grass and only the western part was found.
The enclosure was considered in a major reassessment of the Farway barrow complex, with a suggested date for the enclosure as the earlier part of the Bronze Age. A field visit in December 2011 identified the barrow but the enclosure was not visible under dense vegetation. In early spring 2013, volunteers cleared the vegetation.

The survey was carried out on 11th May 2013 following the clearance work. The clearance showed the details of the earthwork for the first time since its discovery. The circular enclosure was defined with by two concentric banks. The profiles show the slight nature of the banks, which appear to be composed of earth or turf with a small amount of stone visible in places. The banks are well defined to the south and west of the enclosure where the outer bank is 2m wide, 0.1m-0.3m high, the inner bank is 3-4m wide, 0.1m-0.3m high and they are 2m apart. The banks have a segmented appearance which does not appear to be an original feature but later disturbance. A gap through the outer bank which coincides with one in the inner bank may be an original entrance.
The inner bank was disturbed to the north and east of the enclosure. The outer bank was well defined and its orientation shows the enclosure was intended to be completely circular feature in the landscape.
The enclosure was interpreted as a Bronze Age ritual monument following its discovery. It is part of the Farway barrow complex. Farway Castle, a circular enclosure in a similar location lies 1.5km to the southeast. The location of the two enclosures at the heart of round barrow cemeteries suggests they are some of the earliest elements of the prehistoric landscape. The morphology of the Gittisham Hill enclosure does suggest an early date. An earlier Neolithic date for the enclosure should be considered given the evidence, together with the context given by the High Peak material. Equally, the enclosure may have been constructed in the later Neolithic/early Bronze Age.
The form and survival of this slight prehistoric monument has been influenced to a certain extent by the medieval and post-medieval use of Gittisham Hill.

Bluesky International, 2016, LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects (Cartographic). SDV359714.

Circular banks and ditches are faintly visible as earthworks.

Sims, R., Knight, S. & Houghton, E., 2020-2021, East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV363914.

The enclosure is faintly visible as circular bank and ditch earthworks on images derived from lidar data captured in 2016.

Quinnell, N. V., 30/03/1982, Gittisham Hill Ringwork (Plan - measured). SDV355229.

A previously unrecorded earthwork on Gittisham Hill was surveyed by Quinnell in 1982. It consists of parts of a bivallate enclosure, probable maximum diameter circa 70 metres. The round barrow MDV10936 is incorporated into the south-west side in the inner bank.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4769 - Reassessment of the Farway Barrow Cemetery
• EDV8340 - East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment

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