See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

The most southerly cave in the system, sometimes called Maunder's Cave. Partly investigated 1909, briefly mentioned in addendum of lowe's paper. Extensive excavation in 1924-1925 by the torquay natural history society producing flints and pottery from upper part of infilling, and remains of pleistocene mammals from lower levels. Remains of hyenas constitute a large proportion of the finds in part of the deposit. Unnamed cave. At uppermost end of gulley in which torcourt cave is situated and a little below the limestone plateau above is a cave opening filled almost to the roof with sediment. Sutcliffe dug a small pit in the mouth of this cave when a schoolboy in 1944. Five worked flints found in the surface. Otherwise, cave undisturbed. Vis=26/7/1951 (os) a fissure type cave. Entrance faces nw, on south side of small hollow. The fissure apparently leads to a lower series of caves. A possible later upper palaeolithic site (bonsall).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX86NW/1/5

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAVE (Palaeolithic - 698000 BC to 8001 BC (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311955.

Osa=sx86nw9.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311956.

Lowe, h. J. /ttnhs/2(1918)198-213/the caves of torbryan.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311957.

Dowie, h. G. /ttnhs/4(1925)261-9/the excavation of a cave at torbryan.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311958.

Walker, h. H. + sutcliffe, a. J. /tda/99(1967)86-89/j. L. Widger, 1823-1892, and the torbryan caves.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311959.

Mus=torquay.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311960.

Bonsall, c. /gazetteer of upper palaeolithic sites(cba res rep 20)/(1977)425.

BONSALL, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV316507.

Torcourt cave. The most southerly cave, sometimes called maunder's cave. Partly investigated 1909, briefly mentioned in addendum of lowe's paper. Extensive excavation in 1924-1925 by the torquay natural history society producing flints and pottery from upper part of infilling, and remains of pleistocene mammals from lower levels. Remains of hyenas constitute a large proportion of the finds in part of the deposit. Unnamed cave. At uppermost end of gulley in which torcourt cave is situated and a little below the limestone plateau above is a cave opening filled almost to the roof with sediment. Sutcliffe dug a small pit in the mouth of this cave when a schoolboy in 1944. Five worked flints found in the surface. Otherwise, cave undisturbed. Vis=26/7/1951 (os) a fissure type cave. Entrance faces nw, on south side of small hollow. The fissure apparently leads to a lower series of caves. A possible later upper palaeolithic site (bonsall).

Newberry, J., 2013, Lateglacial Devon, Including Recent Evidence from Broad Down, 5 (Article in Serial). SDV358048.

Torcourt Cave has produced evidence of Creswellian occupation [13,000 - 11,800BP].

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.