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Summary

Linear and curvilinear banks, ditches and platforms were visible as earthworks on digital images derived from lidar data of 2016, to the north of St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Monkton. The earthworks are probably remains of a former mill and dwellings, associated orchard, field boundaries and routes recorded as located to the north of the church in the 18th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10SE/88

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1840 AD (Between))
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1880 AD (Between))
• HOLLOW WAY (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1840 AD (Between))
• LEAT (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1840 AD (Between))
• MILL (Early Medieval to XVIII - 1066 AD to 1800 AD (Between))
• ORCHARD (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV125753.

Emafu report/89.16;2.4.2/(fig 5).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV125754.

Des=tithe map/(1842).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV125755.

Des=worksheet/(goodyear,afu,1990).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV125757.

Simpson, s. J. + turton, s. D. + weddell. P. J. /a preliminary archaeological assessment of the preferred route of the a30/a303 (marsh-honiton) and a35 honiton eastern bypass/(1989)4, fig 5/emafu report 89.16.

GOODYER, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV99167.

In the mid c19 the meadow north of the church was known as 'church meadow'. However, in the c18 there is evidence of a mill and several tenements on this site (dates not known). An c18 survey of the manor describes 'monketon mills and grounds' and also a dwelling house, garden and plots called 'mill green, now an orchard'. There was possibly yet another dwelling and plots in the vicinity. A slightly later map of 1797 (see attached diagram to worksheet) shows these fields all to have belonged to pugh's farm. Mill orchard and plot adjoined the river, while mill close and garden lay adjacent to the churchyard. There is documentary evidence for more than one mill in monkton during the c17. The leat appears to come from the river otter at st18970424 and runs to the mill somewhere nw of the church. Between here and the mill site lay 'mount close' - a name which may indicate earthworks or building platforms (goodyer).

Foster, K. + Skinner, R., 01/2016, A30 to A303 Honiton to Devonshire Inn Improvement Scheme, Honiton, Devon (Report - Assessment). SDV359378.

DBA undertaken along a corridor associated with the A30/A303 between Honiton and Devonshire Inn. This study is intended to inform the development of options for improvements to the
A30/A303 between Honiton and Devonshire Inn.
Earthworks are located within the field to the north of the Church of St Mary Magdalene (Figure 4, WA 71). These were visited during the walkover survey and were seen to consist of a cluster of probable house platforms set around a broad hollow-way (Plate 27). A terraced platform and enclosure on the north-east side probably reflects the location of a former mill. A leat previously ran into the mill from the north, possibly following the line of a later field boundary. Nothing now remains of this feature aside from a slight ditch approximately 750 metres to the north. The settlement is likely to have possessed a fulling mill as the field to the immediate north of the earthworks is named as ‘Rexy’ a name that suggest a possible drying rack area. The hollow-way seemingly runs into the River Otter although the location of the river may have changed since the medieval period and as attested by the place-name Ford Farm and Ford Bridge there was a river crossing in the vicinity of the settlement.
The earthworks at Monkton were investigated in 1994 with four test-pits and a trench dug across parts of the site (Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit, 1994). The pits recorded medieval pottery dating from the late-12th and early-13th centuries as well as post-medieval pottery. The archaeological deposits were considered to be in a good state of preservation and it was concluded that well preserved medieval settlement remains probably occur across the site.
Earthworks may have been subject to historic ploughing.

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

The visible earthworks correspond in part to depicted field boundaries.

Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit, 1992 - 1993, Blackdown Hills Survey Archive (Archive - Survey). SDV324187.

Vis=-/3/1990 (simpson) there are prominent earthworks in this field indicating a holloway from the a30 westwards to the river otter, 2 building platforms are associated with a path or track, a low bank representing a former boundary, and a probable well.

EMAFU 1994, 1994, A30/A303 Marshy to Honiton Improvement and A35 Honiton Eastern Bypass (Report - Evaluation). SDV360124.

This report describes the results of preliminay archaeological evaluation excavation undertaken on behalf of the Highways Agency in the summer of 1994.
High Magnetic anomalies were recorded here during the geophysical survey. Four test pits were excavated in the south-east corner of the field. A large quantity of iron tap-slag was recovered from the pits, some 7.25kg in total. The fragments were mostly small and slightly abraded indicating that they had been broken up by ploughing. The 'B' horizon contained pottery of mixed date (18th-century and medieval) also suggesting long-term ploughing. There were no charcoal or ash deposits present in any of the pits. A possible trodden surface of chert and stone was located in two of the pits. Two fragments of early pottery were recovered; these will require further identification.
The site was under pasture at the time of excavation. Four test-pits and one trench c.4.5 metres in length were excavated. Three test pits were located on a low mound which was suggestive of a building platform. Two separate layers of deposition were detected above a natural deposit of hillwash or colluvium. Medieval pottery possible dating back to the late-12th or early 13th century was recovered from these pots. Another test-pit was excavated just inside the hedgebank which was though to represent the course of the mill leat. This located a trackway constructed of very tightly packed chert fragments, which was a minimum of 1.5 metres wide. The final trench was located to the south on a slight terrace. A very compact stony surface was found beneath the topsoil. This was removed to a depth of 50cms which contained stony mixed soil producing mainly 17th-century pottery. The trench was excavated no further since the survival of undisturbed 17th and 18th century material suggests that medieval deposits are likely to be preserved beneath. Any further 'keyhole' excavation may have caused irreparable damage to the earlier levels.
A total of 1.5kg of pottery was recovered form these excavations.
The evaluation has indicated that the archaeological deposits survive in a good state of preservation and there is evidence of occupation on the site from the early post-Conquest period onwards. It is likely that the mill building itself survives at the southern end of the site and there may be other previously-unknown areas of occupation.

Bluesky International, 2016, LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects, LIDAR ST1803 Bluesky International DTM 04-MAY-2016 (Cartographic). SDV359714.

Linear and curvilinear earthwork banks and ditches were visible as earthworks, in association with terraces and platforms.

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

Linear and curvilinear banks and ditches were visible as earthworks on digital images derived from lidar data of 2016, to the north of St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Monkton. Two of the curvilinear banks correspond with field boundaries depicted on the Tithe Map for Monkton that were subsequently removed by the 1880s. The remaining visible earthwork banks and ditches were not depicted on the Tithe Map indicating that they had been cleared prior to the 1840s.
Parallel earthwork banks visible within one enclosure at circa ST18660319 are probably evidence for a former orchard, probably Mill Orchard referred to by the above authority. Roughly parallel banks visible to the north and south of the curvilinear field boundaries are interpreted as defining routes, tracks or hollow ways. Each leads to a roughly rectilinear enclosure tentatively interpreted as possible evidence for former settlements, probably including the mill and dwellings, also described by the above authority. The shallow ditch running through the earthworks might incorporate sections of the former mill leat.
Shallow hollows or ditches immediately north of St Mary Magdalene’s Church are interpreted as further trackways connecting the possible mill site and dwellings with the church and a large D-shaped terraced area adjacent to the church; this is possibly the site of the ‘mill close and garden’ recorded by the above authority adjacent to the churchyard.
The subtle earthworks visible on the lidar derived images are therefore recorded as evidence of possible former settlement potentially of medieval date.
The earthworks circa 200 metres north of the church might be the same as those recorded as MDV114931.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV125753	Migrated Record:
SDV125754	Migrated Record:
SDV125755	Migrated Record:
SDV125757	Migrated Record:
SDV324187	Archive - Survey: Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit. 1992 - 1993. Blackdown Hills Survey Archive. Blackdown Hills Survey Archive. A4 Unbound.
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV359378	Report - Assessment: Foster, K. + Skinner, R.. 01/2016. A30 to A303 Honiton to Devonshire Inn Improvement Scheme, Honiton, Devon. Wessex Archaeology. 111160.01. 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
SDV359714	Cartographic: Bluesky International. 2016. LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects. Not applicable. Digital. LIDAR ST1803 Bluesky International DTM 04-MAY-2016. [Mapped feature: #89889 ]
SDV360124	Report - Evaluation: EMAFU 1994. 1994. A30/A303 Marshy to Honiton Improvement and A35 Honiton Eastern Bypass. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit. 11/94. Digital.
SDV99167	Migrated Record: GOODYER.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6910 - Desk Based Assessment, A30/A303 Honiton to Devonshire Inn Improvement Scheme, Honiton, Devon (Ref: 111160.01)
• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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