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Summary

The remains of whetstone mine galleries and spoil heaps of probable 18th, 19th and early 20th century date were visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s and 1950s and digital images derived from lidar data captured from 1998 to 2014, as earthwork hollows, pits and mounds on the east-facing slopes of Hembury Hill, east of Witness Moor, Awliscombe parish.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and collapsed tunnels associated with former whetstone mining

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10SW/98

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MINE (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1947 AD (Between))

Full description

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV102940.

Area of whetstone mining along e face of greensand spur visible on raf ap's. Runs c st114035 - st 114033. Series of collapsed mine tunnels (aph).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV102942.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1974/2452-3/(11/4/1947).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV102943.

Stanes, r. /tda/125(1993)86/devonshire batts.

Stanes, R. G. F., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV39898.

The diggings on the e side of hembury possibly meet underground those on the w side at witness moor (stanes).

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2452-2453 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Earthwork gullies and mounds were visible.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/534, RAF/541/534 RP 3038-3039 30-MAY-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357615.

Mounds were visible as earthworks to the south of the group.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST1103 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Earthwork gullies and mounds were visible.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST0903-ST1003 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

The earthwork remains were largely obscured from view by dense tree cover.

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 linear gullies and lines of pits running perpendicular to the contours of the scarp above extensive irregularly shaped earthwork mounds and terraces were visible as earthworks on the east-facing slopes of Hembury Hill, east of Witness Moor, Awliscombe parish, on aerial photographs of 1947 and 1950 onwards and digital images derived from lidar data capured from 1998 to 2014.
The earthworks are most clearly visible on aerial photographs of 1947 and images derived from lidar, specifically DTM visualisations, and transcriptions are derived from both sources.
The linear hollows were largely between 1 and 2 metres wide and 10 to 25 metres long, running perpendicular to the contours of the scarp. They are interpreted as forming over the collapsed remains of post-medieval whetstone mine galleries.
Immediately downslope of the collapsed tunnels mounds of spoil excavated from the mine galleries formed an irregular earthwork terrace between 15 and 45 metres wide and over 350 metres long, with individual mounds extending to the south for a further 120 metres.
The mining remains are obscured by dense woodland on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010 but the lidar date indicates that they probably survive as earthworks.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV102940	Migrated Record: APH.
SDV102942	Aerial Photograph:
SDV102943	Migrated Record:
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2452-2453 11-APR-1947.
SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST0903-ST1003 22-MAY-2010.
SDV357615	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/534. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/534 RP 3038-3039 30-MAY-1950.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST1103 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014. [Mapped feature: #93693 ]
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
SDV39898	Migrated Record: Stanes, R. G. F..

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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