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Summary

Field boundaries possibly representing fossilised Prehistoric reaves. No evidence for a prehistoric origin to the present hedgebanks has been found but geophysical survey and a watching brief has recorded ditches on a slightly different alignment which may be the prehistoric forerunners.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NE/317

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• REAVE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Turton, S. D. + Weddell, P. J., 1989, An Archaeological Assessment of the South Devon Spine Main (Roborough to Littlehempston), 8 (Report - Assessment). SDV138026.

Four field boundaries which may represent fossilised Prehistoric reaves.

Reed, S. J., 1991, Archaeological Recording on the SWW South Devon Spine Main (Roborough to Littlehempston), 5 (Report - Watching Brief). SDV163500.

Four hedgebanks on possible reave alignments were cut by the pipeline. One was too disturbed for investigation and three were recorded in detail. The banks were 0.4-0.6 metres high and consisted of shale and clayey loam with no evidence of buried soils. Ditches were associated with two of the earlier banks and a sherd of Post 1600 pottery was recovered from one of the banks.

Cotswold Archaeology, 2001, Fishacre to Lyneham Natural Gas Pipeline: Archaeological Fieldwalking and Field Reconnaissance Survey: Preliminary Summary, Map 8 (Report - Survey). SDV340217.

Cotswold Archaeology, 2001, Fishacre to Lyneham Natural Gas Pipeline: Cultural Heritage Assessment: Volume 1:Text, 15,17 (Report - Assessment). SDV340215.

Other details: Site 117.

Cotswold Archaeology, 2001, Fishacre to Lyneham Natural Gas Pipeline: Cultural Heritage Assessment: Volume 2: Constraints Maps (Report - Assessment). SDV340216.

Other details: Map 8 Site 117.

Mudd, A. + Joyce, S., 2014, The Archaeology of the South-West Reinforcement Gas Pipeline, Devon. Investigations in 2005-2007, 172 (Monograph). SDV359340.

Site 33. Wood Farm, Ugborough. The series of north-west to south-east field boundaries to the east of Earlscombe Farm and south of Wood Farm are considered to be possible extensions of the Bronze Age Reave system on Dartmoor. There was no evidence of prehistoric origins to the present hedgebanks when they were breached during the current programme of works in connection with the route of a gas pipeline. However, the geophysical survey of this block of plots (FTC31.02-31.07) and the subsequent watching brief during soil removal recorded evidence of ditches on different alignments to the present field boundaries. Although none of these ditches yielded dating evidence, they appear to pre-date the present boundaries and could potentially be prehistoric.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV1254 - POT (XVI to XVII - 1600 AD to 1650 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV4375 - Fishacre to Lyneham Pipeline Assessment
• EDV4391 - Fishacre to Lyneham Fieldwalking Survey
• EDV5431 - Geophysical Survey on Gas Pipeline, Fishacre to Choakford
• EDV5439 - Archaeological Investigations Along Gas Pipeline, South-West Reinforcement Project

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