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Summary

A ring-shaped dark cropmark, visible on aerial photographs taken between 1989 and 1999, may have formed over the infilled remains of a ring ditch around a prehistoric barrow, but other explanations, for example a garden feature associated with the 18th century Mount Pleasant house, are plausible. It is unlikely to be contemporary with a rectilinear fenced or hedged enclosure visible on the 1940s aerial photographs.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Prehistoric ring ditch or undated baiting pit east of Cleave Wood

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX98NW/184

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RING DITCH (Unknown date)
• GARDEN FEATURE? (XVIII to XX - 1701 AD to 2000 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 RP 4017-4018 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

A rectilinear enclosure, possibly hedged or fenced, is visible.

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

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/OG, 13-15 (Aerial Photograph). SDV339882.

Devon County Council, 1989, SOM 13180, SOM 13180/13-15 14-JUL-1989 (OG) (Aerial Photograph). SDV358831.

A dark ring-shaped cropmark is visible.

Griffith, F. M., 1995, DAP/XV, DCC DAP/XV 9-10 04-JUL-1995 (Aerial Photograph). SDV321569.

A ring-shaped dark cropmark is visible.

Horner, B., 1995, Untitled Source (Site Visit). SDV339883.

Ring ditch visible on ground in paddock as parchmark. Roughly 6m diameter. Other details: Slides.

Addyman, O., 1995, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV339884.

The site owner has subsequently reported a further, outer ring, linked to the inner one by radial lines. They consider it may be a baiting pit or some such recreation feature.

Get Mapping, 1999, GM/121/99, Devon County Council GetMapping/121/99 480-481 24-JUL-1999 (Aerial Photograph). SDV355055.

A dark ring-shaped cropmark is visible.

Reed, S. J., 2007, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV339887.

A square enclosure/earthwork shown on the 1946-1949 RAF aerial photograph matches with location of transcribed ring ditch shown on Devon Aerial Photo DAP/OG.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

A ring-shaped dark cropmark, circa 10 metres in diameter and up to 2 metres wide, is visible on aerial photographs taken between 1989 and 1999. Its hilltop location might suggest that it had formed over the infilled remains of a ring ditch around a prehistoric barrow, but other explanations are possible. The cropmark appears to located just to the north and west of a rectilinear fenced or hedged enclosure visible on the 1940s aerial photographs, and so is unlikely to be contemporary with it. However it is possible that an earlier ring-shaped garden feature was associated with the 18th century Mount Pleasant house. Further work is necessary to ascertain the date and character of this feature.
Control points were limited, and as a result the transcription may be inaccurate.
Many of the aerial photographs consulted are copies of DAPs held by the Historic England Archive. One has been recorded here as an additional separate source because there is a possibility that the prints may have been processed differently. This would potentially result in images on which archaeological features show slightly differently.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV321569	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1995. DAP/XV. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DCC DAP/XV 9-10 04-JUL-1995. [Mapped feature: #95053 ]
SDV339882	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1989. DAP/OG. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 13-15.
SDV339883	Site Visit: Horner, B.. 1995. Not Applicable.
SDV339884	Personal Comment: Addyman, O.. 1995. Not Applicable.
SDV339887	Personal Comment: Reed, S. J.. 2007. Not Applicable.
SDV342938	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946 - 1949. Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Digital).
SDV352504	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 RP 4017-4018 13-APR-1946.
SDV355055	Aerial Photograph: Get Mapping. 1999. GM/121/99. Get Mapping Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). Devon County Council GetMapping/121/99 480-481 24-JUL-1999.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV358831	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1989. SOM 13180. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). SOM 13180/13-15 14-JUL-1989 (OG).

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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