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Summary

Field system on Sherberton Common, overlying the Dartmeet parallel reave system and apparently on a slightly different alignment, although some traces of the prehistoric boundaries are still visible. Large areas of medieval or post-medieval ridge and furrow visible.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Dartmeet Parallel Reave System. Earthworks of an extensive area of prehistoric remains including complex field system, numerous hut circles, enclosures and cairns, overlain by medieval remains including Vaghill Warren, farmsteads and a large field syste

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SE73
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443072
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SE/120

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Constructed, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 4112-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Vegetation marks of field boundaries visible at SX 694735.

Fleming, A., 1978, The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor. Part 1: South Dartmoor, 97-123 (Article in Serial). SDV235265.

Part of the Dartmeet parallel reave system. Modern fields make the eastern extent of the system problematic. It certainly extended as far as Mel Tor and Bel Tor, being visible near Lock's Gate Cross (SX696739) and Bel Tor Corner (SX697733).

Beeson, M. M. R. + Masterman, M. C. H., 1979, An Archaeological Survey of Enclosed Land in Widecombe-In-The-Moor Parish, 1015 (Report - Survey). SDV337078.

Other details: Volume 5.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX67SE73 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV314384.

(15/05/1980) Sherberton Common covers about 48ha and although it is now rough pasture the area was formerly broken down into rectilinear fields of 1 to 1.5ha. with banks accompanied by ditches. Most banks are 1.3m. wide and 0.4m. high but are probably of post Medieval date. There are a very few traces of an earlier field system presumably of prehistoric origin but insufficient to warrant detailed examination.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

These are a series of fields on Sherberton Common, but they do not appear to be aligned with the parallel reaves on Corndon Down. They are visible on the Royal Air Force 1947 aerial photograph.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume One - The East (Monograph). SDV299725.

Depicted by Butler.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

Part of Dartmeet coaxial field system (Northern Part) which was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 2004. Other details: Site 43.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

The remains of rectilinear field systems on Sherberton Common (recorded in 2008) are demarcated by banks and ditches that may date as early as the prehistoric, through to the medieval or post medieval period. Several of the fields have straight cultivation ridges with spaces of between 2.0 meters and 3.0 meters between furrows.

Newman, P., 2008, Dartmeet Premier Archaeological Landscape (PAL) Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV347061.

(14/03/2008) Medieval or post-medieval fields on north-facing gentle slope of Sherberton Common. A hollow way or droveway, comprising two roughly parallel earth banks between 6 and 12m apart, divides Sherberton Common into two halves, the western half of which has more irregular fields while that to the east has roughly rectangular plots. To the north of Sherberton or Prim Cottage, there is one large field. Each field is demarcated by an earth bank of up to 0.8m high with a ditch on one side. Faint evidence of a prehistoric reave system is visible in places but the medieval field builders appear to have disregarded the earlier layout. Several of the field have straight cultivation ridges with spaces of between 2 and 3m between the furrows. The good condition of the field boundaries indicates that the fields may have been maintained until perhaps the 17th or 18th century, although they are absent from the OS map of 1885 (3a). The field system continues to the east in a maintained state with high drystone wall banks.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Field system and ridge and furrow visible on the 2010 aerial photography.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8296 - Dartmeet Premier Archaeological Landscape (PAL) Field Investigation Project

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