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Summary

A sub-rectangular enclosure on Henlake Down. Earthworks of an inner bank and outer ditch are visible on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Walling and earthworks of Bronze Age hut circles and cairns, along with cultivation ridges and a medieval or later sub-rectangular enclosure on Henlake Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX65NW12
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441283
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NW/20

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

Earthworks of a sub-rectangular enclosure are depicted.

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 605, plan (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

A quadrilateral camp (listed as a simple defensive enclosure). It was enclosed by a single bank and ditch, but a modern road has mutilated the south-eastern portion, and the entrance, formerly at the southern extremity has been destroyed.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 3164-3165 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

Earthworks of banks and ditches are visible. Earthwork well defined on air photographs except for south east
corner which is hidden by trees.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX65NW12 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV346201.

(SX 63365695) Earthwork - possibly late Celtic (citing Worth, R. H., 09/12/1948).
(15/11/1950) Still in evidence.

National Monuments Record, 1979, NMR SX6356, 268 (Aerial Photograph). SDV149977.

Other details: SF 1457.

Silvester, R. J. + Higham, R. A., 1980, Domestic Enclosures of Probable Medieval Date, 63-5 (Article in Serial). SDV55518.

Earthwork. Sub-rectangular ditched site - possibly post-medieval. Other details: Map.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Rectangular earthwork cut away on southern edge by a path and overgrown as visible on 1979 National Monuments Record aerial photograph.

Griffith, F. M. + Robinson, R., 1986, Visit (Site Visit). SDV149978.

(Visited 6/5/1986). Site in excellent condition except for a little motorbike damage at the north-western corner. Possible entrance in south of the south-western side. There are traces of a possible uphill outwork. This may be a Civil War earthwork - sited with reference to downhill activities, possibly to overlook Ivybridge. Almost certainly not prehistoric.

Farmer, J., 1992, Untitled Source (Site Visit). SDV149979.

(Site visited at some point in 1991). 'D' shaped earthwork with bank and outer ditch, measuring approximately 80 by 40 meters. There is a bank and ditch clearly defined to a maximum height of 2.0 meters on the northern side. The eastern and western sides have been cut by a modern footpath. The north-west and south-eastern corners are clear, although slightly eroded. There is a suggestion of a possible outer bank and level feature on the inner bank at the south-eastern corner. Much of the southern bank and south-western corner has been truncated by a ditch ('kings gutter'), though a possible entrance is visible at the south-western corner above this ditch. Random stone courses on the line of the original bank are visible as a split tree trunk at this point. Beyond the north bank the remains of a 0.50 meter high outer bank are visible as a gentle rise with stony patches. A possible circular feature is visible at its most northerly point.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DTM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360208.

The full extent of the enclosure appears fairly clearly visible on the lidar data. Map object based on this source.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX6356; SX6357 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Earthworks of banks and ditches are visible.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

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

Map object based on this Source.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Earthworks of an inner bank, between 3m and 6m wide, flanked by earthworks of an outer ditch, circa 5m wide, are visible on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017. The earthworks define two almost complete circuits of a sub-rectangular medieval or post-medieval enclosure that measures circa 100m long by 75m wide and which is situated on moderate southeast facing slope. The south-eastern extent of the enclosure has been truncated by a field boundary and King's Gutter drain. Earthworks of the enclosure are shown on the late 19th century First Edition Ordnance Survey map.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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