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Summary

Two or four dark roughly circular cropmarks are visible on a single run of aerial photographs taken in July 1996. They were originally identified as ring ditches but it is possible that the cropmarks are the result of differential growth over fungus rings and not archaeological in origin. Aerial survey over several successive seasons could help to ascertain whether the rings were growing larger and therefore likely to be fungus rings.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Four Prehistoric ring ditches east of South Bitworthy Farm

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS32SW/77

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Alternate Type) NON ANTIQUITY (Unknown date)
• (Former Type) RING DITCH (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Horner, B., 1996, DAP/AAO, DAP/AAO 12-15 20-JUL-1996 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337537.

Cropmarks of two ring ditches and possibly two further faint ring ditches.

Met Office, 2011, Met Office online climate statistics, http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/bude.html (Website). SDV349601.

The historic rainfall data for Chivenor weather station in 1996 gives a value of 33mm for June and 28mm for July.

Met Office, 2011, Met Office online climate statistics, http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/stationdata/chivenordata.txt (Website). SDV349601.

The average rainfall for Bude weather station between 1971 and 2000 was 57mm in June and 54mm in July.

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

Several dark roughly circular cropmarks are visible on a single run of aerial photographs taken in July 1996. They were originally identified as ring ditches but it is possible that the cropmarks are the result of differential growth over fungus rings and not archaeological in origin. Although the June to July period of 1996 had lower than average rainfall, the field is under short grass which normally shows cropmarks clearly only in severe stress conditions such as drought. It is possible that the cropmark is forming over the remains of former ditches and was therefore less parched than the surrounding grass, but the rings are not clearly defined, displaying an irregular width and slightly irregular outline, both internally and externally. In addition there are numerous additional curvilinear cropmarks to the north and south which may be parts of other fungus rings. Aerial survey over several successive seasons could help to ascertain whether the rings were growing larger and therefore likely to be fungus rings.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV337537	Aerial Photograph: Horner, B.. 1996. DAP/AAO. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP/AAO 12-15 20-JUL-1996.
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
SDV349601	Website: Met Office. 2011. Met Office online climate statistics. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk. Website. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/bude.html.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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