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Summary

Numerous former quarries of possible prehistoric to post medieval date are visible as earthwork pits on the west facing slopes of Stockham’s Hill, west of Beer, on aerial photographs and images derived from Lidar data. The date and function of the pits is unknown but some are depicted on the Ordnance Survey first edition 25 inch map and annotated as Old Quarry or Old Quarries which might support the interpretation that they had passed out of use prior to the mid to late 19th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 449522
• National Trust SMR: 101262
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY28NW/107

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• QUARRY (Lower Palaeolithic to Post Medieval - 698000 BC to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

NMR, CITING WOODS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV117659.

Large refuse heaps of very inferior flint associated with numerous pits, from ten to thirty feet in diameter, occur between the 300 and 400 feet contour lines beneath the chalk plateau of Beer. These pits may be flint mines as bands of good quality flint outcrop in the sea cliff face at the same level, although they are locally regarded as old marl pits. The mines would date from the palaeolithic to the neolithic period to judge from the surface finds made on south down. Pits and hollows which may be flint mines are shown on the west side of stockham's hill at sy207887 (nmr, citing woods).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV117660.

Nmr=sy28nw15.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV117661.

Woods, g. /pdas/1(1929-32)10-14.

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

Several old quarries are depicted and annotated. Map object partly based on this source.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2811 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Flint tips and pits. Regarded as marl pits but may be flint mines.
SMR.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2815 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Old Quarry' on Ordnance Survey 1890 map; also pits at SY 2080 8874, SY 2079 8866.
Ordnance Survey 1890 Ordnance Survey 1:10560 map (sheet 83SW).

Environment Agency, 2006-2007, LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution), LIDAR SY2088 Environment Agency D0075817 Nov 2006 - Mar 2007 (Cartographic). SDV356180.

Several irregularly shaped earthwork pits are visible. Map object partly based on this source.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

Numerous former quarries of possible prehistoric to post medieval date are visible on aerial photographs and images derived from Lidar data as earthwork pits distributed across approximately 5 hectares of the west facing slopes of Stockham’s Hill, west of Beer. The pits are irregular in shape but are substantial earthworks measuring in excess of 50 metres across. Possible areas of spoil are also visible as earthwork mounds downslope of a number of the pits. The date and function of the pits is unknown from the aerial photographs alone, but some are depicted on the Ordnance Survey first edition 25 inch map and annotated as Old Quarry or Old Quarries which might support the interpretation that they had passed out of use prior to the mid to late 19th century. Only those pits not depicted on the Ordnance Survey first edition map have been transcribed by the survey.

Pink, F., 2014-2015, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV357736.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV117659	Migrated Record: NMR, CITING WOODS.
SDV117660	Migrated Record:
SDV117661	Migrated Record:
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351568	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003-2004. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. Digital + Mixed Archive Material. Site No. 2811.
SDV356180	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 2006-2007. LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SY2088 Environment Agency D0075817 Nov 2006 - Mar 2007.
SDV357736	Interpretation: Pink, F.. 2014-2015. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)

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