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Summary

The remains of ridges possibly made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage, from the post-medieval period to the 19th century, were visible as low parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1947 on the east-facing slopes of the Otter Valley, north-west of Mohun’s Ottery, Luppitt parish.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10NE/128

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) CULTIVATION MARKS (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• ORCHARD? (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

APH/R.PALMER, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV108750.

Ridged cultivation identified on ap.(aph, palmer).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV108751.

Des=palmer, r. /blackdown hills aonb aerial photographic assessment/1992.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV108752.

Des=emafu blackdown hills survey 1992 archive.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV108753.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1974:4304.

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

The plot is depicted as containing tree planting but not using a typical orchard convention.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4439-4440 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Linear earthwork banks were visible.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1805 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

Linear banks remained visible as low earthworks and pale cropmarks.

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 low, parallel earthwork banks were visible on aerial photographs of 1947 on the east-facing slopes of the Otter Valley, north-west of Mohun’s Ottery, Luppitt parish. The banks were spaced up to approximately 5 metres apart and covered an area of circa 0.3 hectares.
The earthworks closely resemble the ridges made to improve soil depth and drainage on orchards in Devon. The Ordnance Survey First Edition 25 inch map depicts this plot as containing moderate tree planting, but using the deciduous tree convention , not in the typical orchard convention.
This might support the interpretation that this plot had previously been used as an orchard but had passed out of use by the 1880s, but the trees left in-situ as an unmanaged woodland.
The banks were remained visible as very slight earthworks and cropmarks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2014.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV108750	Migrated Record: APH/R.PALMER.
SDV108751	Migrated Record:
SDV108752	Migrated Record:
SDV108753	Aerial Photograph:
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 RS 4439-4440 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #92993 ]
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 ST1805 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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