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Summary

The Long Causeway exhibits traits more in common with a prehistoric sunken trackway.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS91SE/369

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROAD (Roman to XIX - 43 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

NICHOLSON, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV48122.

There is evidence of considerable expenditure on the causeway at the start of the 17c. The list of benefactions to the town in dunsford's memoirs record that in peter blundell's will of 9/6/1599, 100 pounds was bestowed 'to amend the tiverton highways'. John blundell describes the benefaction as fifty pounds 'to amend the highways from the town to silferton' and fifty pounds 'to amend the highways about this town', all of which 100 pounds, he says 'was bestowed in paving the long causeway that leads to exeter, a mile in length'. The route is surely substantially older than the work done on the causeway under peter blundell's will. In 1549 there is said to have been a skirmish at cranmore castle occasioned by the prayer book rebellion; presumably this was connected with the road. The presence of the medieval chapel recorded in the 'path close' in 1712 would also be explained if the road ran by in the middle ages (nicholson).

SX963118 TO SX964112, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58892.

'the long causeway' was part of the old road between exeter and tiverton, 'over the hills' vial silverton. Examination of the written sources, particularly for the early modern period, suggests that though it is possible that the route was aligned on the roman fort at bolham and would be a natural way to avoid the exe valley lowlands, the condition of is surface cannot be used as evidence of a roman date. The long causeway was a notable feature of the road from tiverton to exeter in the 17c and early 18c. It is shown on ogilby's 1675 britannia depicta. Davidson, in 1861, refers to an 'ancient road, probably roman, which 'passed over a down called exeter hill, about which place the road was styled "long causeway", and was well-paved for the distance of a mile'. From a point level with cranmore castle, southwards for about a mile, there are on one or both sides of the present road substantial double or single banks with old trees in them; these banks continue to a point roughly e of gogwell farm (sx963118 to sx964112). The more southerly of ogilby's turnings off to the e 'to columbton' is recognisable as the farm road through gogwell, which joins cullompton road at the top of newte's hill.

SEE HARDING, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58893.

The tm + ta also provide evidence about the stretch of road where the long causeway ran. Two sets of field names on each side of the road refer to the causeway. To the e, on gogwell farm and gogwell or goddards are 'little causeway close', 'great causeway close brake' 'great causeway close' 'causeway close meadow' and 'causeway close'. To the w, on great holwell farm, are 'great causeway close', 'little cosway's close' 'little cosway's copse' and 'top cosway's close', and on land belonging to collipriest, 'little cosways close' and 'higher cosways close'. It is likely that 'higher cosways close' is referred to by blundell in 1712 as 'causey close'. Blundell refers to cranmore castle as 'containing 3 fields of tillage grounds. And formerly stood an old chapple on the south-east side of the 'path close adjoining the causey close'. Higher cosways close would then be the most southerly of the 3 fields occupying the site of cranmore castle, and the 'path close with the old chapel would correspond to the tithe survey's mile stone plot', which adjoined its se corner. The mile stone plot has disappeared, but may be identified as the strip of land on the w side of the road, immediately n of a lay-by on the present road. The road to the n of it adjacent to higher cosways close seems, to judge from the dotted lines on the tm, to have followed the line of the present double bank on the w downhill side of the existing road. There is ample evidence to locate the long causeway, but there is ample evidence also that the line of the road where it ran has undergone frequent alterations in the course of its long history. The exeter to tiverton road, of which the causeway formed a part, underwent numerous modifications in the 18c. It had been taken over by the tiverton turnpike trust in 1758. In 1769 it was observed that the turnpike roads between tiverton and silverton were ruinous and in decay. The lessee of the tolls claimed to have lost 100 pounds in revenue on account of the rotten state of the roads. Even before the crisis of 1769 the trust had been working to open up a route to exeter along the exe valley, by way of ashley, bickleigh bridge, jenny's portion cross and silverton, as an alternative to the old road over the long causeway. From this time onwards this lower way is consistently better funded than the old road; this is especially striking after a further crisis in the affairs of the trust in 1782-3, when it was resolved 'that all the roads belong to the tiverton turnpike are in very bad repair'. In 1790, dunsford described the long causeway as having been 'demolished in making the turnpike road'. Much had changed even in the 100 years before davidson wrote, so the paving which he saw is unlikely to have been roman. Davidson does cite a guidebook of 1699 which describes long causeway as "well pav'd" (see ogilby). John lane, merchant of tiverton, by codicil of 23/10/1678 to a will of 1675, gave '20 shillings yearly, for and towards the reparation of the long causeway between tiverton and butterleigh in pitching and paving it, and not otherwise to be therein employed' (see harding).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58895.

Nicholson, o. /pdas/53(1995)121-129/the romans and the long causeway at tiverton.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58896.

Davidson, j. /(1861)77/notes on the antiquities of devonshire which date from before the norman conquest.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58897.

Ogilby, j. /road maps of england and wales from ogilby's britannia depicta 1675(1675)pl 84/(reprinted 1971).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58898.

Blundell, j. /memoirs of tiverton/(1712)7,20,33.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58899.

Des=wcsl/blundell, j. /memoirs of tiverton/(1712)15,18/mss.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58900.

Dro=r4/1/z1.32/191.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58901.

Dro=r4/1/z1.32/175.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58902.

Dro=r4/1/z1.32/315.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58903.

Dunsford, m. /historical memoirs of the town and parish of tiverton/(1790)118-119,142-3,226-7.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58904.

Dunsford, g.(ed)/tda/36()219-25/the autobiography of martin dunsford, the historian, 1744-1807.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58905.

Ogilby, j. /the traveller's guide and companion, being mr ogilby's actual survey and mensuarion by the wheel of the great roads from london to all the considerable cites and towns in england and wales &c/(1699)121.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58906.

Ogilby, j. /britannia depicta or ogilby improved/(1731)/(reprinted 1979).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58907.

Harding/ii.3/the history of tiverton in the county of devon/(1845)200;app 4, 21.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58908.

Harding/the history of tiverton in the county of devon/i.1(1845)31,83.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58909.

Lowe, m. C. /tda/122(1990)47-9/the turnpike trusts in devon and their roads 1751-1889.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58910.

Snell, f. J. /the chronicles of twyford, being a new and popular history of tiverton(1892)11.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV58911.

Dunsford/(1904)/(cited by nicholson with no further reference.

Exeter Archaeology, 2006, Archaeological Assessment on Land at Exeter Hill Tiverton, Devon, 6; Figure 5, no3 (Report - Assessment). SDV351653.

This report has been prepared by Exeter Archaeology (BA) to assess the potential archaeological implications of possible future development on land at Exeter Hill, Tiverton, Mid Devon (SS 96310 12122).

The proposed development site is of irregular shape in plan and measures 236m east-west by 31 7ra north-south. It covers an area of c. 4.8 hectares. The land rises from approximately 105m AOD at the north end of the site, to around 150m AOD to the south.

Exeter Hill. Known also as 'The Long Causeway', the road connects Tiverton and Exeter and is aligned with Bolham Fort and therefore may have Roman period or conceivably prehistoric origins. Exeter Hill forms the site's western boundary as a sunken trackway for approximately 146m. The known history of the road is described in detail by Nicholson, who concluded that it may well have been in use in Roman times.

The road known as 'Exeter Hill' (site 3) passes the hillfort and at its closest point is only 72m to the fort's east side. As has been pointed out Exeter Hill aligns itself on the Roman camp at Bolham to the north of Tiverton and the HER record suggests that Exeter Hill may be of Roman origin. However, during the site visit it was noted that for much of Exeter Hill's descent into Tiverton it exhibits traits more in common with a prehistoric sunken trackway. For the entire length of the development site's western boundary (146m) the road lies at least 5m lower than the flanking fields. The difference in height from road level to field level is indicative of probably considerable antiquity as the driving of cattle, carts and people over hundreds of years has eroded the road surface into what now appears as a cutting. Without a metalling surface rainwater would contribute to the erosion factor. It would therefore seem possible that Exeter Hill was in existence while the hill fort was operational and possibly served as its main access track. no information on potential impacts on the road itself is available at present. This may be regarded as a site of County Significance but as an extensive linear feature and public highway it will effectively be preserved.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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