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Summary

Small enclosure on the side of a steeply sloping valley.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1004586: Camp in Smay's Wood
• SHINE: Iron Age sub-rectangular enclosure in Smay's Wood

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS63NW/9
• Old SAM County Ref: 457
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS63NW3

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Iron Age - 700 BC to 42 AD)

Full description

Ministry of Works, Camp in Smay's Wood (Schedule Document). SDV345853.

Site visit October 1960. Small oval earthwork enclosure on steep hillside well below crest of slope. Univallate. Bank 3-8 feet high, counterscarp 3 feet high in places. Northern half, the wider side, scarped out of slope. Entrance probably on east side at the point where the bank and ditch changes to scarping. Interior featureless. Covered with small trees and scrub.

Woollcombe, H., 1839-1850, Woollcombe Manuscript (Un-published). SDV16214.

Site visit circa 1840. Approximately rectangular, [circa 80 metres by 55 metres]. Ditch deepest on east. No ditch on west side. Bank circa 5 metres. Entrance on east. Other details: Plan.

Ordnance Survey, 1905, 10SW (Cartographic). SDV335637.

Wall, J. C., 1906, Ancient Earthworks, 611 (Article in Monograph). SDV341465.

Simple defensive enclosure class C. Fosse traced on all sides but northern side which is strongest. Naturally defended site. Other details: Plan.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1973 - 1977, SS63NW3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV345854.

Site visit 23rd November 1953. sSituated half way down north slope on 500 foot contour. Oval shaped enclosure comprises a bank with outer ditch on all but north side. On west and east side, ditch weakens as it nears the north side, which consists of strong glacis type bank and has strongest natural defence, at base of glacis type bank, a terrace way may represent a silted up ditch. It is now a disused footpath which has a slight terrace beyond the extremities of the earthwork. In the north west corner is a break in the bank 1.5 metres wide. Maybe a simple entrance. Whole area heavily overgrown, no habitation sites, nor traces of approach road and no finds. Water supply exists to the north.
Site visit 17th July 1973. As described in 1953, but entrance not in north-west as no evidence of causeway. There is a causeway gap in the north-east. No surface indications of rampart on the north side. Enclosure has never been ploughed. Other details: Plan and sections.

Weston, S., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV343247.

Site visit by Department of Environment Field Monument Warden in 1983.

Walls, T., 1999 - 2000, Earthwork Enclosures in North-East Devon and Their Late Prehistoric Landscape (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV341596.

Smay's Wood. Small enclosure on side of steeply sloping valley. In woodland, so interior tree covered. However, surface is irregular and there is evidence of platforms, one of which is particularly clear. Very close to four other enclosures, seems likely that Smay's would have had some connection with them. Uphill is a ridge which links in with major north-south ridge.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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