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Summary

Four possible ring ditches of unknown date and function were visible on aerial photographs of the 1980s as cropmarks on the gentle east-facing slopes east of Broadclyst.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Four prehistoric ring ditches north west of Windmill Cottage

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 448111
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX99NE/55

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RING DITCH (Unknown date)

Full description

AP, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV108028.

Windmill field. Three or possibly 4 ring ditches, close together at sx98939668, sx98959668 and sx98959665 and another at sx98949661. Recorded as cropmark by f. Griffith 25/6/1984 (ap).

NMR, CITING SAINSBURY, Untitled Source (Report - Survey). SDV108031.

Vis=est -/-/1990 (rchme) the area is located on a slight n-facing slope. Several amorphous dark green vegetation marks are visible in a field of corn; however they cannot be positively identified as ring ditches. The field is regularly cultivated (nmr, citing sainsbury).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV108034.

Des=dprfp(1990)(and photo n 10).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV108035.

Nmr=sx99ne23.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV108036.

Des=sainsbury, i. S. /(-/-/1990)/field investiation.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV108037.

Aph=dap/no 9,10/(4/7/1989).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV108038.

Des=rsk environment ltd/transco broadclyst ldz pipeline, exeter: environmental review/(1999)12/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV108039.

Des=the national trust/killerton estate archaeological survey: part 5: the farms: francis court - yarde/(2000)414/2/copy in smr.

DPRFP, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV262469.

Vis=28/3/1990 (robinson) sites lie on level ground at foot of n slope, nothing visible. Owner has no recollection of feeding racks being used here (dprfp).

National Trust, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52.

No artefacts were found during field walking at the site in 1991 although two flint scrapers were found to the se (nt).

Griffith, F. M., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV8774.

The relationship of these marks, average diameter 12m, makes identification as an antiquity doubtful (fmg).

Devon County Council, 1984, DAP Y, DCC DAP/Y 11-12 25-06-1984 (Aerial Photograph). SDV107680.

Four possible ring ditches were visible.

English Heritage, 1984, NMR 2161, NMR 2161/335 26-JUN-1984 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356816.

A possible ring ditch was visible.

Devon County Council, 1989, DAP 6762, DAP 6762/09 04-JUL-1989 (NO) (Aerial Photograph). SDV357383.

Four possible ring ditches were visible.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

Four possible ring ditches were visible on aerial photographs of the 1980s as cropmarks on the gentle east-facing slopes east of Broadclyst. The most clearly defined cropmark of a ring ditch was visible centre on circa SX98949667, the cropmark circa 1.5 to 2 metres wide enclosing an area approximately 8 metres in diameter. Three much less clearly defined possible cropmarks of ring ditches of similar dimensions were arrayed in an arc immediately to the north-west, centred on circa SX98929667, SX98939668 and SX98949668. These were most readily identifiable on a DAP aerial photograph of June 1984. The ring ditch at circa SX98929667 had the most convincing cropmark of the three, which was much less than 1 metre wide and up to 7 metres in diameter. The cropmarks of the remaining two ring ditches were extremely amorphous in appearance and difficult to transcribe with any confidence. However, the enclosed area of that at SX98949668 was notably paler than the surrounding crop, possibly indicative of a levelled mound or compacted surface.
The date and function of the possible ring ditches are unknown and geophysical survey is recommended to define the full extent and character of the features and eliminate any possibility that they are agricultural in origin.
Many of the aerial photographs consulted by the survey are copies of DAPs held by the Historic England Archive. In some cases these have been recorded as separate sources. This is because variations in the way the prints have been processed could result in images on which archaeological features are visible to a greater or lesser degree.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV107680	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1984. DAP Y. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper) + Digital (Scan). DCC DAP/Y 11-12 25-06-1984. [Mapped feature: #86153 ]
SDV108028	Migrated Record: AP.
SDV108031	Report - Survey: NMR, CITING SAINSBURY.
SDV108034	Migrated Record:
SDV108035	Migrated Record:
SDV108036	Migrated Record:
SDV108037	Aerial Photograph:
SDV108038	Migrated Record:
SDV108039	Migrated Record:
SDV262469	Migrated Record: DPRFP.
SDV356816	Aerial Photograph: English Heritage. 1984. NMR 2161. NMR Aerial Photograph. Print. NMR 2161/335 26-JUN-1984.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV357383	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1989. DAP 6762. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 6762/09 04-JUL-1989 (NO).
SDV52	Migrated Record: National Trust.
SDV8774	Migrated Record: Griffith, F. M..

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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