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Summary

A quarry or extractive pit of probable 19th century date is depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s 25inch First Edition map and visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s on the south-facing slopes of Hemerdon Ball, Sparkwell. The pit remained visible as earthworks on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX55NE/203

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) QUARRY (Unknown date)
• EXTRACTIVE PIT (XVIII to XX - 1800 AD to 1906 AD (Between))

Full description

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

'Quarry' shown on 19th century map to the north-west of Hemerdon Ball.

Ordnance Survey, 1907, 118SE (Cartographic). SDV336644.

'Old Quarry' shown on early 20th century map.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 1128-1129 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

A pit is visible as an earthwork.

Ordnance Survey, 1968, SX55NE (Cartographic). SDV336645.

Not shown on 1968 map.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5658 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A pit is visible as an earthwork.

Ordnance Survey, 2009, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV341569.

'Quarry (disused)' shown on modern mapping.

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.

An irregularly shaped earthwork pit circa 45m long and 30m wide is visible on the north-west slopes of Hemerdon Ball, Sparkwell. A mound, probably spoil, is visible on the south-western side of the pit.
The visible earthwork corresponds with, but is larger than, a pit depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s First Edition 25inch map and annotated as a quarry. The pit depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s Second Edition 25inch map, annotated as Old Quarry, more closely matches the visible earthwork.
The pit is therefore interpreted as a quarry or extractive pit of probable 19th century date that remained in use into the early 20th century before becoming disused.
The pit is largely obscured by scrub vegetation on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2002 but remains clearly visible as earthworks on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

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)

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