Heritage Gateway

Devon & Dartmoor HER

ID:	SDV361600
OASIS ID:	headland5-332535
Title:	Land at Woolwell Plymouth: Geophysical Survey
Originator:	Harrison, D.
Date:	2017
Summary:	Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd undertook a geophysical (magnetometer) survey of a 148 hectare site at Woolwell, Plymouth as part of a baseline assessment of the heritage potential of the site. This information will help guide archaeological strategy in advance of a proposed residential development. The survey has successfully evaluated the site identifying one area of clear archaeological potential, a bivallate oval enclosure north-west of Hursley Business Park. Numerous anomalies are identified in the interior of the enclosure, probably indicating settlement activity. To the immediate north-west of the enclosure a smaller square enclosure has been identified. These anomalies are considered to be of high archaeological potential. The survey has detected an extremely variable magnetic background across the majority of site which is mainly due to the magnetic properties of the underlying slate bedrock, being further exacerbated by modern ploughing. The only exception to this is within the centre-west of the site where minimal background variation corresponds to the former Bickleigh Down, an area uncultivated until the mid-late nineteenth century. Against this variable background occasional isolated high magnitude anomalies which cannot confidently be interpreted as agricultural, geological or modern in origin are interpreted as of possible archaeological potential. These include a possible trackway north of New Road, a possible plough-damaged enclosure within the centre of the site and up to six isolated and fragmented ring-ditches. These anomalies are considered to be of moderate archaeological potential. No anomalies of archaeological potential have been identified across the majority of the site and therefore, on the basis of the geophysical survey, the archaeological potential across most of the site is assessed as low.
DOI (permanent link):	https://doi.org/10.5284/1084387

Associated Monuments (20)

MDV122616	Agricultural Features, Land at Woolwell, Bickleigh, Plymouth (Monument)
MDV122605	Archaeological Anomalies, Bickleigh Cross, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122606	Archaeological Anomalies, Bickleigh Cross, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122607	Archaeological Anomalies, Bickleigh Cross, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122608	Archaeological Anomalies, Bickleigh Cross, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122609	Archaeological Anomalies, Bickleigh Cross, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122600	Enclosure west of Hatshill Wood, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV126985	Extractive pit northwest of Pick Pie Plantation, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122582	Iron Age Bivallate Oval Enclosure, north of Hursley Bungalows, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122610	Natural Feature, north of Hursley Business Park, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122589	Oval Enclosure, north-west of Pick Pie Plantation, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122579	Ridge and Furrow, south-east of Lower Leigh, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122594	Ring Ditch, Bickleigh Down, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122597	Ring Ditch, Bickleigh Down, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122599	Ring Ditch, Bickleigh Down, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122591	Ring Ditches, Bickleigh Down, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122650	Roman Road, adjacent New Road and Carron Lane, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122586	Small Square Enclosure, north of Hursley Bungalows, Bickleigh (Monument)
MDV122576	Square Enclosure, south-east of Lower Leigh (Monument)
MDV74571	Track from tramway to Bickleigh Down (Monument)

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