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Summary

Bowcombe Quarry is depicted as two pits on the Tithe Map for Ugborough, one immediately north-east of Quarry Farm and a smaller pit to the south-east. The First Edition 25inch Ordnance Survey map depicts the quarry as disused. The pit is largely overgrown on aerial photographs of 1946 but clearly defined on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019. Quarry Farm’s farmstead might be constructed on ground made from quarry spoil.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65SE/14

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• QUARRY (XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

The visible earthworks correspond with Plot 500 ,listed as 'Slate Quarry'.

de la Beche, H. T., 1839, Report on the Geology of Cornwall, Devon and West Somerset, 503 (Monograph). SDV337075.

Source of roofing slate.

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

'Bowcombe Quarry (Disused)' shown on 19th century map as a large irregular shaped feature to the northeast of Quarry Farm although it once extended westwards around the farm.

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

'Bowcombe Quarry (Disused)' depicted on the on Ordnance Survey 1880s 25inch First Edition map as a large irregular shaped pit to the northeast of Quarry Farm.

Ordnance Survey, 1906, 125NE (Cartographic). SDV160600.

'Bowcombe Quarry (Disused) shown on 1906 map.

Ussher, W. A. E., 1912, Geology of the Country around Ivybridge and Modbury (Monograph). SDV161599.

Quarry farm and disused quarries. There are two quarry areas east of the farmhouse. At one time they must have been very productive. One quarry is near the road which leads north to Toby Cross and the ridge-way. This is in a field known as Dixon's Field, and has been almost completely filled in. Dixon came from Caernarvonshire in the 1830s and worked the quarry for roofing slate. The other large quarry, 100 yards to the north, has a greater area of worked slate still exposed. In the early 20th century when the owner was working in a cowhouse near the farmhouse the floor gave way and revealed a shaft of some sort beneath the building. Also near the farm buildings, there is an exposed area dug into the rock, about 12 feet square, which is believed to be the start of a tunnel or shaft. To the right, some way away, there are the filled-in and covered over remains of a shaft, with the rock face of the quarry rising on three sides for some 25 feet. The purpose of this shaft is unknown, and as of 1974 [sic], no remains of buildings could be seen. South of the farmhouse, below the driveway, there is the opening of a tunnel, whose purpose is unknown. The present access was made by the owner when it threatened the road above with collapse and does not appear to be the original entry. The tunnel is 1.82 metres high by 1.82 metres wide, and is level, with water standing over its entire length. Drill marks indicate that the tunnel was worked away from the house; the length accessible being 26.62 metres. To the left of the present entrance the passage is blocked up. At the inner end of the tunnel the cut rises abruptly at about 45deg. And is filled with shale. This could be an accidental roof fall, or a return passage to the open ground. No sign of a shaft exists on the ground. Compass readings show that the tunnel, as exposed below ground, runs in a direction from below the house to the corner of a vegetable plot where the quarry track joins the farm track. If it continued in the same straight line, the other end of the tunnel (at 45deg. Incline) would come out at the junction of the farm track and the garden path leading to meadows.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 2191-2192 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

The pit visible as an overgrown earthwork.

Ordnance Survey, 1969, SX65SE (Cartographic). SDV340898.

'Bowcombe Quarry (Disused)' shown on 1969 map.

Cotswold Archaeology, 2001, Fishacre to Lyneham Natural Gas Pipeline: Archaeological Fieldwalking and Field Reconnaissance Survey: Preliminary Summary, Map 8 (Report - Survey). SDV340217.

Cotswold Archaeology, 2001, Fishacre to Lyneham Natural Gas Pipeline: Cultural Heritage Assessment: Volume 1:Text, 22 (Report - Assessment). SDV340215.

Other details: Site 127.

Cotswold Archaeology, 2001, Fishacre to Lyneham Natural Gas Pipeline: Cultural Heritage Assessment: Volume 2: Constraints Maps (Report - Assessment). SDV340216.

Other details: Map 8 Site 127.

Environment Agency, 2019, National Lidar Programme, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM 25-FEB-2019 (Cartographic). SDV363691.

The quarry pit is clearly defined as an earthwork.

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.

Bowcombe Quarry is depicted as two pits on the Tithe Map for Ugborough, one immediately north-east of Quarry Farm and a second smaller pit to the south-east of the farmhouse. The First Edition 25inch Ordnance Survey map labels the quarry as disused. This might support the interpretation that the quarry ceased to be used between circa 1840 and 1880.
The pit is north-east of Quarry Farm largely overgrown on aerial photographs of 1946 but clearly defined on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019.
The farmstead north-west of Quarry farmhouse might be constructed on earthworks constructed from quarry spoil, recorded separately.
A second slightly smaller pit to the south-east, also part of Bowcombe Quarry, is recorded separately as MDV3100.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4375 - Fishacre to Lyneham Pipeline Assessment
• EDV4391 - Fishacre to Lyneham Fieldwalking Survey
• 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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