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Summary

An extensive area of narrow ridge and furrow is visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs taken in 1947, to the northwest of Wortham. It has been interpreted as evidence of 18th-19th agricultural improvement but some, if not all, is the result of recent drainage works. Extensive areas of narrow ridge and furrow have also been recorded to the north, northeast and south.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX48NE/37

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) PLOUGH MARKS (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)
• NARROW RIDGE AND FURROW (XIX to XXI - 1801 AD (Between) to 2024 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, HER 34/107 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Large block of fields showing traces similar to ridge and furrow. Visible on 1947 aerial photograph. Post medieval in date.

Berridge, P., 1985, A30 Survey (Worksheet). SDV254856.

Site visit 5th March 1985. Traces of ridge and furrow are very clear on the ground in some places.

Young, A., 2005, Transcriptions from Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Cartographic). SDV321540.

Transcriptions in this location correspond to the grid reference for PRN167169.

Young, A. & Turner, S., 2005-2006, North Devon/Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project database records, PRN167169 (Interpretation). SDV358473.

Extensive traces of cultivation marks similar to straight, narrow ridge and furrow are visible, some only as cropmarks, on aerial photographs (p1) and were digitally plotted as part of the National Mapping Programme. The traces extend to SX46925 89715 in the west and to SX48189 89526 in the south. The features are sited within areas classed as rough ground and rough ground showing signs of earlier use as agricultural land in the Historic Landscape Characterisation for Devon.
Photograph reference:
1. RAF CPE/UK/1995/2238 - 40 13-APR-1947

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2017-2018, Backlog recording of the Winkleigh National Mapping Programme Survey (Personal Comment). SDV360588.

The cultivation marks mentioned elsewhere within this record likely refer to the 19th-20th century practice of the mechanical ploughing of ground for the improvement of drainage and or areas of rough ground. This monument record has accordingly been indexed as narrow ridge and furrow. Extensive areas of narrow ridge and furrow have also been recorded to the north, northeast and south.

Whitton, C., 2024, Ridge and furrow (Personal Comment). SDV365965.

The ridge and furrow is modern, which the local farmer remembers being drainage he undertook himself.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7455 - Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme

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