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Summary

A sub-rectangular earthwork enclosure, interpreted as an Iron Age promontory fort, is visible on aerial photographs and images derived from Lidar data, to the east of Buck’s Mills.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Iron Age promontory fort east of Buck's Mills
• Scheduled Monument 1002527: Earthwork E of Buck's Mills

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 32644
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS32SE/2
• Old SAM County Ref: 448

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HILLFORT (Iron Age - 700 BC to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, SS32SE3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV344244.

Visited 28/1/1954. Large quantities of limpet shells recovered in the interior during wartime ploughing.
Visited 29/11/1978. A large sub-rectangular feature, internally 110 metres long from east to west, 50 metres wide at the east, tapering to 35 metres at the west end. The north side is a natural scarp, up to 3 metres high, which continues eastward beyond the main work, with a bank extending southwards leading off to it. This is 0.6 metre high on the inner face and 1.7 metres high on the outer face. No evidence of a ditch. Interior of enclosure beyond the old quarry diggings is broken up by two long east to west ridges with intermediate gully, interpreted as natural. Some doubt expressed as to its classification as an Iron Age defensive enclosure. The artificial bank at the east end may be an agricultural boundary Other details: Plan.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Camp (Remains of)' shown.

Ordnance Survey, 1906, 18SW (Cartographic). SDV2136.

Roman Camp recorded..

Wall, J. C., 1906, Ancient Earthworks, 579 (Article in Monograph). SDV341465.

Other details: Plan.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158, DCC RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158 5084-5085 19-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349143.

The earthworks are visible at the eastern end of the possible enclosure.

Ministry of Public Building and Works, 1960, Earthwork East of Buck's Mills (Schedule Document). SDV344250.

Visited June 1960. Enclosure with right-angled corners on east side. Banks six feet high at maximum. Defences on north and south sides out of steep scarp. West end difficult to define becasue of quarrying.
Interior on east side cultivated. Banks covered with scrub.
Iron age fort at end of spur.

Fox, A., 1962, Untitled Source (Correspondence). SDV344249.

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1966, MAL/66058, RAF MAL/66058 054-055 14-OCT-1966 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349065.

The earthworks are visible at the eastern end of the possible enclosure.

Silvester, R. J., 1977, Earthwork (Worksheet). SDV8568.

Visited 11/12/1977. Eastern half of pasture, western half scrub and bracken. Interpretation difficult - Dark Age?.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, EI 9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV344248.

Horner, W., 1997, Hillfort (Worksheet). SDV344245.

Visited 12/6/1997. Eastern half of promontory fort/enclosure inspected. Fairly heavy cattle poaching observed in a number of places. Scrub clearance and fencing off of area to control cattle access being proposed.

Horner, W., 1997, Untitled Source (Ground Photograph). SDV344246.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1998, Untitled Source (Correspondence). SDV344247.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for repairs to the erosion scars on the south side of the entrance and the north end of the rampart.

Environment Agency, 2007, LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution), LIDAR SS3523 Environment Agency D0076623-D0076624 24-MAR-2007 (Cartographic). SDV349139.

Earthwork ramparts are visible on images derived from Lidar data. No earthworks are visible on the northern side of the possible enclosure.

Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J., 2007, The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report, No. 570 (Report - Assessment). SDV339712.

Sub-rectangular enclosure/promontory fort 110m E-W, 50m wide at E end tapering to 35m at W end. Natural scarp on N & S sides. Quarrying at W end.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

A sub-rectangular earthwork enclosure, interpreted as an Iron Age promontory fort, is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards and images derived from Lidar data captured in 2007, on the tip of an east-west spur above Buck’s Mills. Between 6 to 8 metres wide, the earthwork rampart is visible on the eastern and southern extents of the enclosure. Lidar data reveals the enclosure is circa 140 metres long, east to west, but the westernmost 80 metres is largely obscured from view by scrubby vegetation and woodland. No convincing northern rampart is visible, a possible northern boundary suggested by a possibly enhanced natural geological scarp or ridge.

Edwards, M., 2019, Earthwork, east of Bucks Mills, Woolfardisworthy, Torridge: Geophysical Survey (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV363261.

A magnetometer survey was undertaken to provide an evaluation of any buried archaeology across the survey area.
Several archaeological anomalies identified relate to the existing visible earthworks. Anomaly groups 4, 15 and possibly 29 may relate to an external ditch to the enclosure.
Within the enclosure interior, anomaly group 3 may relate to a possible internal ditch. Anomaly group 26 would appear to be the response from the east-west bank on the northern perimeter of the survey area. The enclosure bank itself is not discernible in the geophysical data. The east and southern boundaries provided a negligible response which may indicate a different material constitution from the east-west bank to the north.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV2136	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1906. 18SW. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch Map. Map (Paper).
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV339712	Report - Assessment: Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J.. 2007. The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report. Exeter Archaeology Report. 06.22 (rev.1). A4 Stapled + Digital. No. 570.
SDV341465	Article in Monograph: Wall, J. C.. 1906. Ancient Earthworks. Victoria History of the County of Devon. Hardback Volume. 579.
SDV344244	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. SS32SE3. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV344245	Worksheet: Horner, W.. 1997. Hillfort. Devon County Sites and Monuments Register. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV344246	Ground Photograph: Horner, W.. 1997. Devon County Council Conservation Section Collection. Slide.
SDV344247	Correspondence: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 1998. Scheduled Monument Consent Letter. Leaflet.
SDV344248	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1985. EI 9. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper).
SDV344249	Correspondence: Fox, A.. 1962. Letter. Letter.
SDV344250	Schedule Document: Ministry of Public Building and Works. 1960. Earthwork East of Buck's Mills. The Schedule of Monuments. Foolscap.
SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349065	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1966. MAL/66058. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF MAL/66058 054-055 14-OCT-1966.
SDV349139	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 2007. LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SS3523 Environment Agency D0076623-D0076624 24-MAR-2007.
SDV349143	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DCC RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158 5084-5085 19-APR-1946.
SDV362729	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2019. MasterMap 2019. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #82169 ]
SDV363261	Report - Geophysical Survey: Edwards, M.. 2019. Earthwork, east of Bucks Mills, Woolfardisworthy, Torridge: Geophysical Survey. Substrata. 1901BUC-W-1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV8568	Worksheet: Silvester, R. J.. 1977. Earthwork. Worksheet + Digital.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project
• EDV8165 - Archaeological Magnetometer Survey: Earthwork East of Bucks Mills, North Devon (Ref: 1901BUC-W-1)

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