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Summary

Numerous prospecting pits of possible medieval to post-medieval date are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2007 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013, on the south-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor below Hawks’ Tor.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE186
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1126056
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/412/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) TRIAL PIT (Early Medieval to XXI - 1066 AD to 2009 AD)
• PROSPECTING PIT (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

SEE HEADSHEET, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV149657.

Trial pit (see headsheet).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV149658.

Des=rchm app 1985.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RP 3256-3257 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Pits and spoil mounds are visible as earthworks.

National Monuments Record, 1998, NMR 18051, NMR 18051/11 19-MAY-1998 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363403.

Pits and spoil mounds are visible as earthworks.

Fletcher, M. + Probert, S., 1998, Shaugh Moor, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Fig.9. (Report - Survey). SDV343481.

(13/03/1998) Tin prospecting pits and shafts occur in widely spaced groups of various densities on Shaugh Moor. A scattered group of pits and a line of shafts up to 8.5m in diameter and 1.8m deep lie at SX55616236 whilst to the north at SX55976316 and SX56166315 very fine groups of shafts and pits occur below the summit area.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5562 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

Pits and spoil mounds are visible as earthworks.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5562 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

Pits and spoil mounds are idedntifiable as earthworks.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Numerous oval and irregularly shaped pits approximately 2.5m to 8m in diameter are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1946, digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2007 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013, distributed across nearly 180m of the south-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor below Hawks’ Tor.
Several of the larger pits are either surrounded or flanked on the downslope side by curvilinear mounds, probably spoil heaps.
The pits are interpreted as the remains of prospecting pits potentially of medieval to post-medieval date. The west to east alignment of the pits might support the interpretation that the pits were following a rich seam, possibly of tin ore.
This is one of three closely spaced concentrations of pits on the spur below Hawks’ Tor.
The distribution and extent correspond to that recorded by Fletcher and Probert (see SDV343481).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

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)
• EDV4967 - Shaugh Moor Survey (1997-1998)

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