See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Extensive extractive workings of likely early to mid-20th century date are visible as a series of earthwork pits, cuttings and mounds on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, and on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998-2014, on Black Down Common, east of Purchas Farm, Culmstock.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST11NW/71

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (XX - 1901 AD to 2000 AD (Between))
• QUARRY (XX - 1901 AD to 2000 AD (Between))
• SPOIL HEAP (XX - 1901 AD to 2000 AD (Between))

Full description

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52134.

Quarry face and active quarrying visible on blackdown common above purchas farm (aph).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV52135.

Aph=raf/3g/tud/uk/221pt4/5377/(11/7/1946).

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/221 V, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/221 V 5274-75 11-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357046.

A series of earthwork pits, cuttings and mounds are visible.

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

A series of earthwork pits, cuttings and mounds are visible. Map object partly based on this source.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST1015; ST1115 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

A series of earthwork pits, cuttings and mounds are visible. Map object partly based on this source.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

Extensive extractive workings of likely early to mid-20th century date are visible as a series of earthwork pits, cuttings and mounds on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, and on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998-2014, on Black Down Common, east of Purchas Farm, Culmstock. The main concentration of workings occupy an area of approximately 5.90 hectares and are dispersed across both the plateau and steep northwest facing slopes of a prominent ridge which forms the southern tip of Black Down Common. An irregular shaped, but broadly linear northeast to southwest aligned cutting is visible along the break of slope of this steep sloping ridge. This measures approximately 425m in length by 40m in width and is defined along its entire northwest edge by a series of irregular shaped earthwork mounds derived from the quarry spoil. To the northeast, on the level plateau, is an additional area of intercutting pits/cuttings, measuring approximately 280m in length by 150m in width and interspersed with irregular shaped spoil mounds along the southeast edge. Stretched out along the hill slopes to the northeast, beyond the main workings, are two concentrations of small sub-circular shaped pits interpreted as possible prospection pits. Within the southern area, the pits are typically arranged in a linear northeast to southwest alignment. These prospection pits may pre-date the main workings in view of finding a suitable site, or were dug with the intention of expanding the existing works during of after its use. The workings recorded here were clearly on an industrial scale, as opposed to the small, short-lived and farm-scale extractive pits which dominate the rest of this survey area. The visible earthworks do not correspond with any features depicted in this location on the available 19th and early 20th century mapping which given their extensive nature would suggest they post-date these maps. The earthworks, which have also been recorded as monument records MDV49844 and MDV49850, are partly depicted on the Ordnance Survey 2017 MasterMap.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

A series of earthworks are shown in this location. Map object partly based on this source.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV342938	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946 - 1949. Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Digital).
SDV357046	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/3G/TUD/UK/221 V. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/3G/TUD/UK/221 V 5274-75 11-JUL-1946.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST1015; ST1115 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
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
SDV359962	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2017. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV52134	Migrated Record: APH.
SDV52135	Aerial Photograph:

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.