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Summary

An elongated turf covered mound of earth and local schist slates, possibly a Neolithic long barrow. The work is not a pillow mound and the regularity of form discounts the possibility of a wall marker's waste tip. It is unlikely to clearance heap apart from the nature of the material which would not warrant clearance. The mound has no side ditches, but if, as is cautiously suggested, it is a long barrow its content would seem to be the result of scrape-up. The mound is now covered in dense scrub but it is recorded, free of this vegetation, on aerial photographs taken in the 1940s.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020575: Medieval farmstead, boundary work and earthwork enclosures 350m south east of Middle Soar
• SHINE: Earthworks, structures, cropmarks and artefact scatters of prehistoric field system, remains of prehistoric barrow, medieval farmsteads and rabbit warren, 18th-19th century watch towers and World War Two RAF Bolt Head Airfield, at East Soar, Malborough

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 444317
• National Trust SMR: 100,547
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX73NW/59
• Old SAM County Ref: 34885
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LONG MOUND (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC (Between))

Full description

HAWKINS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV140723.

On boltberry, just within the warren gate, a few yards south of a shepherd's cot and adjoining pinfold, there is a very large and lofty mound or rampart of earth and stones. Probably a tumulus, which created a sheltered position for the house and pinfold, which may merit opening (hawkins).

TITHE MAP CITED BY OS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144680.

On the estate map and the tithe map the area has no relevant or significant field names (tithe map cited by os).

FOR ALTERNATIVE IDENTIFICATION AS A PILLOW MOUND SEE CRF, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144682.

(for alternative identification as a pillow mound see crf).

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144683.

Recorded on raf 1946 ap. Appears to be curved (aph).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144684.

Hawkins, a. /kingsbridge and salcombe/(1819)207.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144685.

Lang, g. /courtenay estate survey of the south hams/(1777)ms devon county records office.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144686.

Des=tithe map and award/(1841).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144687.

Tda/17(1885)129.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144688.

Osa=sx73nw29.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV144689.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1890/2023/(16/12/1946)/smr 63/3.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144690.

Des=horner, w.(dcc)/as above/(7/6/1999).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Untitled Source (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV24.

Vis=29/1/1987 (os) a possible long barrow on downland. Poorly depicted, and not described, on the os 25" (1954). The work comprises an elongated turf covered mound of earth and local schist slates, 42m long overall, set in a ne to sw direction along the crest of a gentle nw slope, which may account for some spread along the nw side. The larger sw end is 13m across, 1.7m high on the se side and 2.3m on the nw side; the mound becomes narrower and lower towards the ne end where it is barely 7m across, 0.7m high on the se side and 1.9m on the nw. The flat top is 4m wide at the sw end, narrowing to 1.3m at the ne. The sides of the mound are slightly concave and the ends bluntly rounded the work is not a natural feature. Sheep scoops have exposed a make-up of narrow slate stones, mostly less than 0.2m long, bedded horizontally with large quantities of fragments. To the nw between the mound and an c18 enclosure wall are foundations of the shepherd's hut and pinfold noted by hawkins; alongside them a probably contemporary pit, 15m long, 4m wide and 0.5m deep, may have been a source of stone for the structures (the pit is partly infilled with wartime debris). The mound has no side ditches, possibly a long barrow, its content though seems to result from scrape-up. The relatively flat ground to the e and w and for 200m to the cliffs on the south bears traces of a prehistoric field system. One degraded field bank is but 20m to the west of the mound and a lynchet runs eastward from the ne end of the mound. For this a comparative chronology is uncertain due to digging in the vicinity and the positioning of the ruined cottage and pinfold (os).

Lang, G., 1777, Courtenay Estate Map (Record Office Collection). SDV144955.

An estate map depicts the warren gate, house and pinfold, and, by small irregular pen strokes, a mound at sx71233686 (lang).

Royal Air Force, 1949, RAF/541/419, NMR RAF/541/419 3011 19-DEC-1949 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351250.

An earthwork mound is visible.

DCC, 1986, DAP 13295, NMR SX7136/6 (DAP 13295/11) 23-DEC-1986 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351425.

An earthwork mound is visible.

Thackray, C., 1990, Archaeological Survey of the Salcombe Estuary: West (Bolt Head to Bolt Tail and Snapes Point) Devon, 20 (Report - Survey). SDV345519.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2002, Medieval Farmstead, Boundary Work and Earthwork Enclosures 350 Metres South-east of Middle Soar (Schedule Document). SDV343429.

This monument includes earthwork remains of a medieval farmstead with an adjoining animal pound, a boundary work and parts of three adjoining earthwork enclosures on coastal heathland overlooking a shallow valley. A substantial earthen boundary work lies to the south east of the farmstead and measures 12 metres wide and 2.5 metres high at its west end, tapering to 6.5 metres wide and 0.8 metres high at its east end, where it is cut by a later track. The bank continues as a low earthwork and scarp in the hillside for 210 metres to the east, where it abuts two contiguous ovoid earthwork enclosures.

Winton, H. + Bowden, M., 2009, East Soar, Devon: Air Photo Assessment and Survey (Report - Survey). SDV351406.

The mound is now covered in dense scrub but it is recorded, free of this vegetation, on aerial photographs taken in the 1940s. The basic form of the mound was transcribed from aerial photographs as part of a survey of the area. The pinfold and farmstead referred to by previous authorities has been split into a separate record and a description can be found in NMR Monument record 1369319 (MDV22807 ) and the field boundaries are also now covered by NMR monument record 444335 (MDV66010, MDV36184). The long mound is within scheduled area 34885.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 106 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems. Stable. Principal vulnerability arable ploughing.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

All East Soar Air Photo Assessment and Survey (SDV351406) details were accessioned to the Devon HER as part of the South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV140723	Migrated Record: HAWKINS.
SDV144680	Migrated Record: TITHE MAP CITED BY OS.
SDV144682	Migrated Record: FOR ALTERNATIVE IDENTIFICATION AS A PILLOW MOUND SEE CRF.
SDV144683	Migrated Record: APH.
SDV144684	Migrated Record:
SDV144685	Migrated Record:
SDV144686	Migrated Record:
SDV144687	Migrated Record:
SDV144688	Migrated Record:
SDV144689	Aerial Photograph:
SDV144690	Migrated Record:
SDV144955	Record Office Collection: Lang, G.. 1777. Courtenay Estate Map. Courtenay Survey of the South Hams. Manuscript.
SDV24	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. OSA. Card Index.
SDV343429	Schedule Document: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 2002. Medieval Farmstead, Boundary Work and Earthwork Enclosures 350 Metres South-east of Middle Soar. The Schedule of Monuments. A4 Stapled.
SDV345519	Report - Survey: Thackray, C.. 1990. Archaeological Survey of the Salcombe Estuary: West (Bolt Head to Bolt Tail and Snapes Point) Devon. National Trust Archaeological Survey Report. A4 Comb Bound + Digital. 20.
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351250	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1949. RAF/541/419. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/541/419 3011 19-DEC-1949.
SDV351406	Report - Survey: Winton, H. + Bowden, M.. 2009. East Soar, Devon: Air Photo Assessment and Survey. English Heritage. 50-2009. Digital + A4. [Mapped feature: #126586 Previously recordeda s a point at SX71263686, ]
SDV351425	Aerial Photograph: DCC. 1986. DAP 13295. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR SX7136/6 (DAP 13295/11) 23-DEC-1986.
SDV355280	Report - non-specific: English Heritage. 2011. Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West. english Heritage. Digital. 106.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4935 - Archaeological Survey from Bolt Head to Bolt Tail and Snapes Point
• EDV6587 - Archaeological Assessment of Land between Bolt Heat and Bolt Tail

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