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Summary

Neolithic stone axe of green tuff. Originally from Great Langdale in the Lake District. The axe derives from a larger one which had been broken and reflaked to produce a smaller one. It has been suggested that it was deposited at Arlington in modern times.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS64SW/15

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV65008.

Mus=exe.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV65009.

Grinsell, l. V. /archaeology of exmoor/(1970)186.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV65010.

Osa=ss64sw18.

Fox, A., 1955, Twenty-Second Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon, 319-320, Pl.14 (Article in Serial). SDV148060.

Neolithic stone axe found in field behind the Post Office at Arlington. 3.2 inches long, 2.3 inches wide at the base, tapering to 1.7 inches and 6.7 inches thick. Blade ground an polished for a length of about an inch, otherwise coarsely flaked. The edges are unevenly worn and battered. It is suggested it derived from a large polished axe that was broken in antiquity and flaked down for re-hafting. Of a green tuff, characteristic of Great Langdale, Westmorland where several axe working sites have been found. The only other example found in the south-west is from St Minver in Cornwall. They may have been brought here via a trade route down the Irish Sea.

National Trust, 1984, Arlington Court, Devon, 6 (Report - Survey). SDV337709.

Prehistoric stone axe. Now held in Exeter Museum. Coarsely flaked with unevenly worn and battered edges. The blade has been ground and polished for a distance of an inch. It probably derived from a large polished axe that has been broken in antiquity and flaked down for re-hafting. The material is a green compact tuff, characteristic of the tuffs near Great Langdale in the Lake District. It may have been brought down along trade routes down the Irish Sea. It has been suggested that it may have been removed from Langdale in modern times and redeposited at Arlington.

Berry, N., 2011, Arlington Court, Devon. Archaeological and Historic Landscape Survey of the Arlington Estate, 4 (Report - Survey). SDV348171.

Neolithic stone axe found in the field behind the Post Office. It is part of a larger axe which had broken and reflaked to produce a smaller one. It came from Langdale in the Lake District and probably arrived in North Devon via a trade route down the Irish Sea. The axe is now in Exeter Museum.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds

• FDV2966 - AXE HEAD (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)

Associated Events

• EDV5579 - Archaeological and Historic Landscape Survey, Arlington Court

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