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Summary

Five roughly parallel narrow north-west to south-east aligned banks are visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as earthworks on the south-west facing slopes of Crownhill Down. The earthworks are probable the fragmentary remains of a field system of medieval to post-medieval date. Subtle earthworks remain visible on images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 but have subsequently been partly destroyed by modern open cast mining.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX55NE/163

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Late Medieval - 1401 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

Timms, S. C., Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV343952.

System of low parallel walls and banks on lower side of road across Crownhill Down. Runs south-east from Hooksbury Wood. Only roughly shown 1982 plans.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 1126-1127 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Linear banks are visible as earthworks, most clearly on the openness positive visualisation.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Map object previously based on this Source.

AMAX, 1982, The Hemerdon Project. Archaeological Sites (Plan - measured). SDV149232.

Devon County Council, 1982, Untitled Source (Plan - measured). SDV337246.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, SX55NE (Cartographic). SDV337243.

Map object previously based on this Source.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5559 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Linear banks are visible as earthworks.

Fletcher, M., 2002, The Archaeological Landscape of Crownhill Down and Ridding Down: Survey Report (Report - Survey). SDV343412.

Map object based on this Source.

National Monuments Record, 2009, 1363025 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV343966.

Set of five banks laid out on a level area in a parallel linear pattern. These banks are 0.2 metre high stony soil-covered lines and are probably associated with Post Medieval farming practice. Other details: NMR Number SX55NE33.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 22-JUN-2018 ACCESSED 04-JUL-2019 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

The earthworks have been destroyed by the expansion of opencast mining.

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.

Five roughly parallel narrow north-west to south-east aligned banks are visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as earthworks on the south-west facing slopes of Crownhill Down. The banks are up to 4m wide and visible as discrete earthworks up to circa 100m long spaced 8 to 14m apart.
The earthworks do not have any obvious relationship with the medieval enclosure pattern visible off the Downs to the west but can be interpreted as defining a roughly rectilinear field pattern, probably representing medieval to post-medieval date piecemeal enclosure of the Down.
Subtle earthworks remain visible on images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 but have subsequently been partly destroyed by modern open cast mining.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

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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