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Summary

The remains of probable post-medieval to 20th century ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage were visible as low, parallel earthwork banks on a number of orientations, on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, on the slopes of a shallow combe west of Barton Farm, Combe Raleigh parish.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10SE/178/2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1982 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV120349.

Des=ntas/combe wood,combe raleigh,devon/(1984)/in smr.

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

1941 tithe apportionment gives field name "orchard". Plot 361 (ntas).

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

The orchard banks largely correspond with a depicted orchard.

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

The orchard banks largely correspond with a depicted orchard. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 3444-3445 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Orchard tree planting banks were visible under light tree cover.

Ordnance Survey, 1982, OS/82218 V, OS/82218 V 1134-5 28-AUG-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359504.

The orchard ridges remained visible as low earthwork banks. Map object based on this source.

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

The remains of probable post-medieval to 20th century ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage were visible as low, parallel earthwork banks on a number of orientations, on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, on the slopes of a shallow combe west of Barton Farm, Combe Raleigh parish.
The banks were spaced up between 4 to 6 metres apart and were aligned roughly cross-contour, presumably to aid drainage; in a setting such as this close to the head of a combe, this has resulted in banks on a number of orientations. The earthworks largely correspond to a plot depicted as an orchard on the Tithe Map for Combe Raleigh and the Ordnance Survey 25 inch map, and are therefore interpreted as ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage. A small area of banks, circa 0.2ha, immediately to the north, does not correspond with an orchard depicted either on the OS First Edition map or the Tithe Map for Combe Raleigh, and therefore is probably evidence for an earlier phase of orcharding removed prior to circa 1840.
The earthworks are therefore at the latest mid-19th century in date and could be significantly older. The orchard remained lightly planted with trees in the late 1940s but was completely cleared of trees by 1982.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV120349	Migrated Record:
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe 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 3444-3445 11-APR-1947.
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
SDV359504	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82218 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82218 V 1134-5 28-AUG-1982.
SDV52	Migrated Record: National Trust.

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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