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Summary

Prehistoric hilltop enclosure and associated features to the north-east of Outer Narracott Farm. Visible as a complex of earthwork banks on aerial photographs between 1946 and 2010, and further substantial remains are liely to survive below-ground.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019024: Hilltop enclosure 400m north east of Outer Narracott Farm
• SHINE: Iron Age enclosure at North Hill Cleave

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 34186
• National Monuments Record: 34186
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS54SW/24
• Old SAM County Ref: 998
• Old SAM Ref: 32223
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS54SW14

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Iron Age - 700 BC to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Minor earthworks shown on 19th century map on the west and south side of the field.

English Heritage, 19/03/2015, Hilltop enclosure 400m north-east of Outer Narracott Farm, North Hill Cleave, circa 400m north-east of Outer Narracott Farm (Correspondence). SDV358010.

The ‘Hilltop Enclosure 400m north-east of Outer Narracott Farm’ (NHLE: 1019024) is one of the three sites put forward for amendment on the grounds that a curvilinear bank circa 90 metres to the west represents an outwork and should therefore be assessed for inclusion within the existing scheduled area. See consultation report for full details.

Royal Air Force, 19/05/1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2082, 3065 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350392.

A complex of earthwork banks are clearly visible in two fields. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1905, 5SW (Cartographic). SDV59283.

Department of Environment, 1977, Iron Age Enclosure south of North Hill Cleave (Schedule Document). SDV346421.

Iron Age enclosure to the south of North Hill Cleave. Small hill slope enclosure 39.7 metres diameter with banks 11 - 12 metres wide and up to 1.2 metres high with an external ditch visible on the west side. Running north-west and south-east from the enclosure are low banks which enclose a large area to the west of the original enclosure. Another bank to the south east of the site joins this complex of enclosures on the south. An old quarry site on the south has slightly disturbed the site. In a field used for uncultivated pasture. Other details: Monument 998.

Silvester, R. J., 1978, A Hill-slope Enclosure at Collomoor, Bittadon, 245-249 (Article in Serial). SDV346422.

The settlement lies on a ridge and the focal point of the complex is a small hill-slope enclosure of 0.17 hectares with no visible entrance. Associated with the enclosure are a number of cross banks. Silvester notes proximity of the site to a group of barrows and a hill-slope enclosure on Kentisbury Down. A second cemetery is located on Berry Down and a number of other barrows are scattered along its length. Other details: Figure 2.

Weddell, P. J., 1991, SWW Combe Martin Water Supply: Archaeological Assessment of a Hillslope Enclosure at North Hill Cleave (Report - Assessment). SDV346427.

Reed, S. J. + Pearce, P., 1992, SWW Combe Martin Water Supply: Archaeological Recording of a Hillslope Enclosure at North Hill Cleave (Report - Watching Brief). SDV346424.

Limited resurvey and excavation in the pipeline corridor show the site to be more complex than surface remains indicate, with an additional inner embanked enclosure indicated by Ditch 1. No sequence of development can be proposed. The likelihood of an entrance on the west side is suggested by the location of a small outer bank. Evidence from aerial photographs indicates that the upstanding remains have diminished in the last 45 years.

Department of Environment, 1992, Untitled Source (Correspondence). SDV346423.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for laying of a pipeline.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1999, Hilltop Enclosure 400 metres north-east of Outer Narracott Farm (Schedule Document). SDV346425.

This monument includes an agglomerated Iron Age hilltop enclosure and a later quarry situated on a high upland ridge directly adjacent to North Hill Cleave, part of the Sterridge Valley. The smaller oval enclosure which measures 60 metres long east to west by 34 metres wide north to south is defined by banks which measure up to 6 metres wide and 1.2 metres high. The second enclosed area is attached to the west of the first enclosure and measures 196 metres long from north to south by 135 metres east to west. This enclosure is denoted by banks standing up to 0.4 metres high and 1.2 metres wide. On the western side is a ditch which measures up to 4.5 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep, but which peters out to both the north and south. The south-eastern corner of the larger enclosure has been disturbed by more recent quarrying, the spoil heaps and quarry pit occupying an area which measures 45 metres long from east to west and 28 metres wide from north to south; the pit is up to 2.6 metres deep. Leading from the quarry is a ditch which measures up to 4.5 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep. This is defined on its eastern side by a bank which measures up to 1.2 metres wide and 0.4 metres high. Partial excavation in 1992 revealed at least four buried ditches which were not visible on the ground, and which indicated at least one extra embanked enclosure. Also, the likelihood of an entrance on the western side was revealed by the presence of an outer bank. Hilltop enclosures are defined as sub-rectangular or elongated areas of ground, usually between 10 hectares and 40 hectares in size, situated on hilltops or plateaux and surrounded by slight univallate earthworks. They date to between the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age and are usually interpreted as stock enclosures or sites where agricultural produce was stored. The enclosure survives comparatively well, despite reduction in its height through cultivation and some limited quarrying. The monument will contain both archaeological information relating to its construction and use as well as providing environmental evidence about the surrouding landscape. Its close association with nearby funerary monuments and its commanding position also indicate its importance to the local area. Other details: Monument 32223. Map object based on this Source.

Reed, S. J. + Manning, P. T., 2000, Archaeological Recording of a Hillslope Enclosure at North Hill Cleave, Bittadon, 201-214 (Article in Serial). SDV346426.

The earthwork survey and excavation along the route of the pipeline undertaken in 1992 revealed a more complex site with previously buried features. The site is a typical south-western multivallate hillslope enclosure or fort but its form remains difficult to classify as it has the characteristics of both an annexed and cross-bank enclosure. No evidence of occupation was recovered from the site.

Walls, T., 2000, Farway (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV340520.

Site is on a possible ancient ridgeway, linking west and north coasts with the high moor. Has excellent views in all directions.

Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J., 2007, The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report, No. 844 (Report - Assessment). SDV339712.

National Monuments Record, 2010, SS 5443, NMR SS5443/014 NMR 26642/36 13-APR-2010; NMR SS5443/012 NMR 26642/34 13-APR-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350568.

The earthworks are visible, with a small scar on the bank in the western field and bare ground on the earthwork in the eastern field.

National Monuments Record, 2011, 34186 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV346428.

An agglomerated Iron Age hilltop enclosure and a later quarry situated on a high upland ridge. The smaller oval enclosure which measures 60 metres long east to west by 34 metres wide north to south is defined by banks which measure up to 6 metres wide and 1.2 metres high. The second enclosed area is attached to the west of the first enclosure and measures 196 metres long from north to south by 135 metres east to west. This enclosure is denoted by banks standing up to 0.4 metres high and 1.2 metres wide. On the western side is a ditch which measures up to 4.5 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep, but which peters out to both the north and south. The south eastern corner of the larger enclsoure has been disturbed by more recent quarrying, the spoil heaps and quarry pit occupying an area which measures 45 metres long from east to west and 28 metres wide from north to south; the pit is up to 2.6 metres deep. Leading from the quarry is a ditch which measures up to 4.5 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep. This is defined on its eastern side by a bank which measures up to 1.2 metres wide and 0.4 metres high. Partial excavation in 1992 revealed at least four buried ditches which were not visible on the ground, and which indicated at least one extra embanked enclosure. Also, the likelihood of an entrance on the western side was revealed by the presence of an outer bank. Other details: SS54SW14.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

A complex of earthwork banks are visible in two fields, covering an area of approximately eight hectares, on aerial photographs between 1946 and 2010. The layout appears to consist of an oval banked enclosure of later prehistoric type, 46 by 57 metres, within the bank of a much larger curvilinear enclosure extending circa 200 metres on the east which may have been later in date. Another curvilinear bank on the north side of the oval enclosure forms an irregularly shaped enclosure, probably abutting the oval enclosure, although its relationship to the larger enclosure is unclear. Two further curvilinear banks on the west side, 45 and 90 metres from the oval enclosure, may be outworks or part of a multivallate enclosure and one seems to be respected by an extant hedgebank. These are outside the Scheduled area, and modofication of the schedule to include this area should be considered. Further work is required to establish the relationships between the individual elements of this site, and clarify the date and sequence of construction. Some erosion is visible on the banks as erosion scars and bare earth over the earthworks, presumably from livestock sheltering in the lea of the banks or from feeders. Substantial ditches in the north of the site excavated in 1992 are not visible on the available aerial photographs, and further extensive below-ground remains are likely to survive.

Historic England, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV358087.

Map object based on this source.

English Heritage, 22/01/2015, Hilltop Enclosure 400m NE of Outer Narracott Farm, North Devon (Correspondence). SDV357762.

English Heritage is currently undertaking a strategic designation project in the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, following on from an aerial photographic interpretive survey of the area undertaken on behalf of English Heritage and Devon County Council. As well as assessing some sites which have been highlighted as having potential national importance, the project will also re-assess some sites where revisions to the existing statutory designation have been identified.

Historic England, 28/04/2015, Iron Age hilltop enclosure at North Hill Cleave, circa 400m north-east of Outer Narracott Farm, Bittadon, North Devon, Devon (Correspondence). SDV358148.

The hilltop enclosure at North Hill Cleave is a significant Iron Age site. It is recommended that the monument boundary is amended to include the outwork which currently lies outside the scheduled area. The description of the monument has also been updated in line with current practice and to assist with the future management of the site.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
The Schedule entry for the Iron Age hilltop enclosure at North Hill Cleave, circa 400m north-east of Outer Narracott Farm, should be amended for the following principal reasons:
* Extent of remains: to include the western outwork which currently stands outside the scheduled area;
* Clarity: to fully describe the remains and the archaeological interest of the site in a national context.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV339712	Report - Assessment: Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J.. 2007. The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report. Exeter Archaeology Report. 06.22 (rev.1). A4 Stapled + Digital. No. 844.
SDV340520	Post-Graduate Thesis: Walls, T.. 2000. Farway. MA Dissertation. Unknown.
SDV346421	Schedule Document: Department of Environment. 1977. Iron Age Enclosure south of North Hill Cleave. The Schedule of Monuments. A4 Stapled.
SDV346422	Article in Serial: Silvester, R. J.. 1978. A Hill-slope Enclosure at Collomoor, Bittadon. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 36. Paperback Volume. 245-249.
SDV346423	Correspondence: Department of Environment. 1992. Scheduled Monument Consent Letter. Letter.
SDV346424	Report - Watching Brief: Reed, S. J. + Pearce, P.. 1992. SWW Combe Martin Water Supply: Archaeological Recording of a Hillslope Enclosure at North Hill Cleave. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit Report. 92.19. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV346425	Schedule Document: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 1999. Hilltop Enclosure 400 metres north-east of Outer Narracott Farm. The Schedule of Monuments. A4 Stapled.
SDV346426	Article in Serial: Reed, S. J. + Manning, P. T.. 2000. Archaeological Recording of a Hillslope Enclosure at North Hill Cleave, Bittadon. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 58. Paperback Volume. 201-214.
SDV346427	Report - Assessment: Weddell, P. J.. 1991. SWW Combe Martin Water Supply: Archaeological Assessment of a Hillslope Enclosure at North Hill Cleave. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit Report. 91.62. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV346428	National Monuments Record Database: National Monuments Record. 2011. 34186. National Monuments Record Database. Website.
SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV350392	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 19/05/1947. RAF/CPE/UK/2082. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 3065.
SDV350568	Aerial Photograph: National Monuments Record. 2010. SS 5443. National Monuments Record. Photograph (Paper). NMR SS5443/014 NMR 26642/36 13-APR-2010; NMR SS5443/012 NMR 26642/34 13-APR-2010.
SDV357762	Correspondence: English Heritage. 22/01/2015. Hilltop Enclosure 400m NE of Outer Narracott Farm, North Devon. English Heritage Strategic Designation Project. Digital.
SDV358010	Correspondence: English Heritage. 19/03/2015. Hilltop enclosure 400m north-east of Outer Narracott Farm, North Hill Cleave, circa 400m north-east of Outer Narracott Farm. Letter and Consultation Report. Digital.
SDV358087	National Heritage List for England: Historic England. 2015. National Heritage List for England. Website.
SDV358148	Correspondence: Historic England. 28/04/2015. Iron Age hilltop enclosure at North Hill Cleave, circa 400m north-east of Outer Narracott Farm, Bittadon, North Devon, Devon. Notification of Decision to Amend Designation. Digital.
SDV59283	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1905. 5SW. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch Map. Map (Paper).

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4970 - Recording of Hillslope Enclosure at North Hill Cleave
• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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