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Summary

A former extractive pit of probable medieval to post-medieval date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s to 2014 and digital images derived from Lidar data as an earthwork pit on the gentle slopes below Honiton Hill, to the east of Hale Beech Grove, Honiton. Parallel earthwork banks within the pit might are probably evidence of drainage improvement, possibly for orchard planting.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10SE/78

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD? (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1880 AD (Between))
• MARL PIT (XVIII to XIX - 1751 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

1906, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV132074.

'old marl pit' shown on os 6" (1906) map.

1963, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV132075.

'marl pit (disused)' shown on os 6" (1963) map.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV132076.

Des=os 6"(1906)map sheet 70ne.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV132077.

Des=os 6"(1963)map.

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

An Old Marl Pit is depicted and annotated.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 1441-2 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

An irregularly shaped earthwork hollow or pit was visible. Linear earthwork banks were visible within the area of the pit. Map object based partly on this source.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV359177.

The former marl pit was clearly visible as a shallow earthwork hollow. Map object based partly on this source.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1700 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

The former marl pit was visible as a shallow earthwork hollow, its edges somewhat softened by ploughing.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

A former extractive pit of probable medieval to post-medieval date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s to 2014 and digital images derived from Lidar data as an earthwork pit on the gentle slopes below Honiton Hill, to the east of Hale Beech Grove, Honiton. Irregular in shape the pit measures between 50 and 60 metres across.
Parallel earthwork banks orientated roughly north-west to south-east and roughly 5 metres apart were visible within the pit on aerial photographs of 1947. The banks may be evidence of drainage improvement works, an interpretation possibly supported by water visibly pooling on the slopes in 1947.
The earthwork banks also closely resemble mounds recorded by NMP surveys on orchards throughout Devon, interpreted as having been made for improved drainage. This might support the interpretation that this former marl pit had been reused as the location for a small orchard, a pattern also recorded elsewhere. The banks were not visible on digital images derived from Lidar data have probably now been levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV132074	Migrated Record: 1906.
SDV132075	Migrated Record: 1963.
SDV132076	Migrated Record:
SDV132077	Migrated Record:
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 1441-2 11-APR-1947.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2
SDV359479	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1700 08-SEP-2014.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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