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Summary

The west bank of the Taw inland as far as the railway line was largely open marsh until shortly after World War II. Field-name evidence from 1791 and 1842/3 indicate that this land was being enclosed and drained in the 18th- and 19th centuries.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DRAINAGE SYSTEM (XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Chris Blandford Associates, 1997, Barnstaple Western Bypass and Urban Relief Road Stage 4. Environmental Assessment Phase A (Report - Assessment). SDV347381.

Air photographic and cartographic evidence indicates that nearly all the gound along the west bank of the Taw inland as far as the railway line, or a point just to its west, was largely open marsh until shortly after World War II. Field-name evidence from a survey of 1791 and topographical and field-name evidence from the 1842/3 Tithe Award indicate that this land was being enclosed and drained in the 18th- and 19th centuries. The present river defences and what remains of drains and reens across areas of marsh presumably date to this period. Large areas around Sticklepath were taken by the railway in the second half of the 19th century, or developed for industrial purposes in the late 19th century and during the early 20th century. A considerable amount of dumping took place across the area to the south and east of the railway and by 1973 the entire area between the Sticklepath industrial estate to the north-west of the town bridge, and the disused railway bridge to the east of Herton, had been covered with imported and dumped materials and/or developed for industrial purposes. Prior to development air photographic evidence shows that the area contained a sinuous network of natural drainage channels and/or a deliberately constructed angular network of drains and dykes.
Some remnants of the latter still survive in the area to the north of the Sticklepath Industrial Estate.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Lewis, D., Sept 2011, Land at Larkbear, Barnstaple: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment, 12 (Report - Assessment). SDV352261.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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