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Summary

Field system on sourton down. First noticed on ap. Field system is aligned against course of old road (see sx59sw/37) with field banks up to c.0.5m high in places, running for c.300m either side of road. The field system is characterised by small rectangular/ square plots, some with ridge and furrow. The entrance track to east linnacombe farm and some surviving hedgerows respect the plan of the field system, but other surviving hedgerows cut across the ridge and furrow. The scheduled earthwork (sx59sw/2) lies within the field system, which cannot be dated (balkwill).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX59SW/3

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Roman to Post Medieval - 43 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

KING, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV1479.

Vis=20/12/1978 (king) ridge and furrow seen.

Egan, G., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV22757.

Excavation and environmental sampling by ceu in 1986. The earthen field banks were found to overlie ploughmarks parallel to the narrow ridges within the fields, and one of them had formed around a wooden fence (egan).

BALKWILL, 1977, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263799.

Field system may represent post-medieval rather than roman cultivation (balkwill, 1977).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263807.

Aph=cartographical services no.320/252047-051/october 1972. Okehampton by-pass a30 south route(road construction unit, sowton).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263808.

Des=balkwill, c. /dcra rural survey/(1976)/okehampton bypass no.2(iii)north/ plan in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263809.

Balkwill, c. /archaeology and development in rural devon/(1977)11-12/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263810.

Des=king, a. C. /dcra survey a30 okehampton bypass - final report/(31/1/1979)/ no.38(worksheet)in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263811.

Balkwill, c. J. + silvester, r. J. /pdas/34(1976)86-89/plan/earthwork on sourton down near okehampton(in parish file).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263812.

Des=worksheet(berridge)/(21/3/1985)/a30 survey.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263813.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/2082(19/5/1947)/dcc 34/164-5.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263814.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1995(13/4/1947)/dcc 34/141-5.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263815.

Aph=rcu 25/73/124-5(26/7/1973).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263816.

Aph=dap/ec 1-3,5, eb 3a-12.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263817.

Aph=dap/eb 3a,4,5,6,7,7a,8,9,10,11,12(5/3/1985).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263818.

Aph=dap/ec 1a,2,3,4,5(5/3/1985).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263819.

Aph=dap/ef 5,6,7,7a,8,9,10,11,11a(14/3/1985).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263820.

Aph=dap/ek 5a,6(17/3/1985).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263821.

Egan, g. /post-med. Arch. /21(1987)286/post-medieval britain in 1986.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263822.

Weddell, p. J. + pye, a. R. /a30 okehampton bypass to launceston bypass archaeological assessment part 1:summary report and recommendations/(1990)/ (emafu report 90.30).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263823.

Pye, a. R. /a30 okehampton bypass to launceston bypass archaeological assessment part 2:archaelogical evaluation of sourton down/(1990)3,6,12/ (emafu report 90.34).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263824.

Dro=1508m,devon/surveys v4.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV263826.

Des=weddell, p. J. + reed, s. J. /pdas/55(1997)39-147/excavations at sourton down okehampton 1986-1991: roman road, deserted medieval hamlet + other landscape features.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263827.

Aph=dap/uc 11-15(1/3/1991).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV263828.

Aph=dap/ud 1-9(1/3/1991).

BALKWILL + SILVESTER, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV285040.

Field system described and its association with other features on sourton down discussed. Entrance track to west linnacombe farm (deserted) respects field system which represents periodic cultivation of moorland a practice described by vancouver and marshall as still carried out in c18 (refs given) (balkwill + silvester).

BALKWILL, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV44259.

Field system on sourton down. First noticed on ap. Field system is aligned against course of old road (see sx59sw/37) with field banks up to c.0.5m high in places, running for c.300m either side of road. The field system is characterised by small rectangular/ square plots, some with ridge and furrow. The entrance track to east linnacombe farm and some surviving hedgerows respect the plan of the field system, but other surviving hedgerows cut across the ridge and furrow. The scheduled earthwork (sx59sw/2) lies within the field system, which cannot be dated (balkwill).

BERRIDGE, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV56585.

Vis=11/3/1985 + 15/3/1985 (berridge) several previously unrecognised field walls noted. Field system seen to extend into modern adjacent fields on the northeast edge of sourton down. Ridge and furrow principally aligned northeast to southwest but some traces seen running at right angles to this and this gives a gridwork pattern in some areas. Field wall junctions would seem to imply field system grew up over a period of time rather than being planned as a single entity. Ridge and furrow respects some field walls but clearly overlies some others (berridge).

WEDDELL + REED, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV74691.

Field system found to post date the roman road and developed round the medieval enclosure. The small fields c.2.25ha accord with an economy of animal husbandry with no open field agriculture, as there is no evidence for medieval ploughing. A short phase of narrow rig plough marks covered much of the down respecting the scheduled earthwork and medieval settlement, possibly representing outfield cultivation in the post-medieval period. A hedgebank study identified 3 forms: banks with no ditches, banks with 2 ditches + a short section of a bank with only one ditch. The state of preservation depended on maintenance rather than construction methods. The majority comprised of a rubble core possibly from field clearance (weddell + reed).

Pye, A., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV7765.

Vis=late 18c cartographic evidence (see dro) suggests this is part of a large co-axial field system. There are indications that certain areas of sourton down contained relict field boundaries. Various fieldbanks were excavated, and some revealed buried soil (pye).

Kerr, J. B., 1987, A30 Okehampton bypass (Report - Assessment). SDV263825.

(1986) Sampled by the Central Excavation Unit. Balkwill and Silvester's theory that the field system respects an earlier road line seems correct, though their theory that the road is roman remains unproven. Plough marks sealed by buried soil under bank 1 were parallel with ridge and furrow visible elsewhere in the system. Similar marks found under most of the field-banks. Beneath the junction of banks 47 and 18 was a line of stake-holes suggesting a pre-existing fence.
No datable finds associated with the banks, but they probably date from 18-19th century. Bank 134 differed from the others in being stone-built. It ran further east than the survey suggested and appeared to belong to an earlier field system. No trace of underlying ploughing.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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