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Summary

Two Parallel grooves cut into Orcombe Rocks off Orcombe Point are visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2012. The grooves are tentatively interpreted as wheel ruts of possible 18th to 19th century date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY07NW/310

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RUTWAY (XVIII to XIX - 1751 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

CRF, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV116163.

May relate to quarries below high land of orcombe (crf).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV116164.

Des=bygrave, m.(dcc)/as above/(15/10/2000).

BYGRAVE, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV24721.

Parallel grooves in the rock off orcombe point. Look like wheel ruts running across the grain of the rock and following the coast (bygrave).

Channel Coast Observatory, 2001-2012, Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography, Channel Coastal Observatory SY0179_20120917ortho.ecw 17-SEP-2012 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351226.

Two curvilinear rock cut channels are visible.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2615 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Apparent wheel ruts in rock follow the coast. Possibly related to quarries.
SMR.

Reed, S. J., 2011, Wheel Ruts Cut into Rock off Orcombe Point (Ground Photograph). SDV355573.

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

Two channels or grooves cut into Orcombe Rocks off Orcombe Point are interpreted as possible wheel ruts cut to aid the movement of horse drawn carts across the beach. The grooves are visible for circa 75 metres, orientated north-west to south-east, roughly parallel to the coastal cliffs. They are similar in appearance to longer tracks visible at Maer Rocks to the north-west, although at circa 1.4 metres wide are slightly narrower in gauge. The object of these possible ruts is unknown but narrower gauge might support the interpretation that carts with lighter loads used these ruts than those destined for the Maer limekilns.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV116163	Migrated Record: CRF.
SDV116164	Migrated Record:
SDV24721	Migrated Record: BYGRAVE.
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
SDV351226	Aerial Photograph: Channel Coast Observatory. 2001-2012. Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography. Channel Coast Observatory. Digital. Channel Coastal Observatory SY0179_20120917ortho.ecw 17-SEP-2012. [Mapped feature: #97065 ]
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. 2615.
SDV355573	Ground Photograph: Reed, S. J.. 2011. Wheel Ruts Cut into Rock off Orcombe Point. Digital.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

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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