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Summary

A probable double-ditched Iron Age or Romano-British enclosure is visible as rectilinear cropmarks on aerial photographs taken between 1970 and 2010. It seems to have had an entrance in the south side, but the south-east segment is not visible.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1004579: Earthwork enclosure S of Blackall's Copse
• SHINE: Iron Age or Romano-British sub-rectangular, double ditched enclosure, prehistoric rectilinear enclosure, prehistoric ring ditches and linears west of Lower Pottles

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX98NW/17
• Old SAM County Ref: 952
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX98NW 22

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DOUBLE DITCHED ENCLOSURE (Early Iron Age to Roman - 700 BC to 409 AD (Between))
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Early Iron Age to Roman - 700 BC to 409 AD (Between))

Full description

National Monuments Record, SX9387 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343611.

Griffith, F. M., Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV343612.

On Cambridge University Collection air photograph, BTS 60, part of another similar enclosure is visible to the south-east of the scheduled enclosure, centred at SX93258718 and two circular marks that may be ring ditches are visible immediately to the west.

Cambridge University, 1959, CUC/ZS, 81-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343157.

Cambridge University, 1970, CUC/BCV, 41-42 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343111.

Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography, 1970, CUCAP BCV, CUCAP BCV41 03-JUL-1970 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356123.

The northern corner of the enclosure is visible.

Department of Environment, 1974, Earthwork Enclosure South of Blackall's Copse (Schedule Document). SDV343606.

Site visited during October 1974. Bivallate earthwork enclosure, with planned entrance on the south-east side. It is situated on a natural 'ledge' on the south side of a deeply cut enclosed valley west of the Exe. Arable.

Cambridge University Collection, 1975, CUC/BTS, 59-60 (Aerial Photograph). SDV119928.

Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography, 1975, CUCAP BTS, CUCAP BTS059 03-JUL-1975 (Aerial Photograph). SDV358912.

The northern corner of the enclosure is visible. Map object partly based on this source.

Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology, 1979, Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology Vol 5, 74 (Monograph). SDV340435.

Double-ditched, sub-rectangular enclosure with adjacent linear markings and probable geological marks show as cropmarks on photo in National Monuments Record. Near Blackall's Copse.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980 - 1982, SX98NW22 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV343607.

Possible Iron Age or Romano-British enclosures. Site visit 22nd September 1982. The cropmarks occupy a flattish area about 40 metres OD on a north-east facing slope. The fields and hedgebanks show no ground evidence of the enclosures.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV342809.

Other details: Site visit 4th February 1982.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/Q, 4, 4a (Aerial Photograph). SDV343610.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/T, 3, 4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343608.

North corner visible.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/ET, 4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV338504.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/FB, 2a (Aerial Photograph). SDV338143.

Robinson, R., 1987 - 2000, Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project (Un-published). SDV342165.

Site visit 10th February 1989. Double ditched rectangular enclosure (lying over the corners of three fields) with part of similar enclosure immediately to the south, and linear features to north-east. Site lies on very gentle north-east slope on the north side of a ridge, occupying the slight natural terrace in the slope. It has been affected by later lynchetting across the field boundaries that divide the main enclosure into three, with a maximum 1 metre drop across the bank in the south-east corner.

Horner, B., 1992, DAP/VG, 00-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV122368.

Griffith, F. M., 1996, DAP/ZF, 9, 10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV321564.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 111 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems. Principal vulnerability arable clipping.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX9387 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

The northern corner of the enclosure is visible. Map object partly based on this source.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 104 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 109 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems. Declining. Principal vulnerability arable clipping

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

Rectilinear cropmarks, circa 1.5 to 2.5 metres in width and visible on aerial photographs taken between 1970 and 2010, are interpreted as having formed over the buried remains of a double-ditched enclosure of probable later prehistoric or Roman date. The inner circuit measures approximately 65 metres square, although the south-east corner is not visible. 6 to 10 metres from this is the outer circuit, with a gap of circa 7 metres in its southern side, presumably for an entrance. It is also not possible to define the south-east section of this feature. Parts of the east side are obscured by a field boundary on aerial photographs up to the 1980s. The ditch circuits obviously survived below this boundary, since they are visible as dark cropmarks on aerial photographs taken in 2010 when this boundary had been removed. To the south some superficially similar looking cropmarks may indicate an additional enclosure (MDV113198), but could have had a geological origin.
Many of the aerial photographs consulted were borrowed from the Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. These have been recorded here as additional sources, separate to the copies of these photographs that are held by Devon County Council, because there is a possibility that the prints may have been processed differently. This would potentially result in images on which archaeological features show slightly differently.

Devon County Council, 2019, Google Earth Aerial Photograph Pilot Project, GE93 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363341.

(SX 93211 87279) Enclosure south-east of Blackall's Copse. Double-ditched rectilinear enclosure MDV10026 is visible on the 2018 Google Earth aerial images. Further linears are evident, possible internal features. Bronze Age to Romano-British date.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV119928	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University Collection. 1975. CUC/BTS. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Photograph (Paper). 59-60.
SDV122368	Aerial Photograph: Horner, B.. 1992. DAP/VG. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 00-1.
SDV321564	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1996. DAP/ZF. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 9, 10.
SDV338143	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1985. DAP/FB. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 2a.
SDV338504	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1985. DAP/ET. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 4.
SDV340435	Monograph: Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology. 1979. Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology Vol 5. Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology Report. 5. Unknown. 74.
SDV342165	Un-published: Robinson, R.. 1987 - 2000. Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project. Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project. A4 Unbound.
SDV342694	Report - non-specific: English Heritage. 2009. Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West. English Heritage Report. A4 Bound +Digital. 111.
SDV342809	Un-published: Robinson, R.. 1982. List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982. Lists of Field Monument Warden Visits. Unknown.
SDV343111	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University. 1970. CUC/BCV. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Photograph (Paper). 41-42.
SDV343157	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University. 1959. CUC/ZS. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Photograph (Paper). 81-4.
SDV343606	Schedule Document: Department of Environment. 1974. Earthwork Enclosure South of Blackall's Copse. The Schedule of Monuments. A4 Single Sheet.
SDV343607	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1980 - 1982. SX98NW22. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV343608	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/T. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 3, 4.
SDV343610	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/Q. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 4, 4a.
SDV343611	Aerial Photograph: National Monuments Record. SX9387. National Monuments Record Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper).
SDV343612	Personal Comment: Griffith, F. M..
SDV344777	Report - non-specific: English Heritage. 2010. Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West. English Heritage Report. Digital. 104.
SDV355280	Report - non-specific: English Heritage. 2011. Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West. english Heritage. Digital. 109.
SDV356123	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. 1970. CUCAP BCV. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. CUCAP BCV41 03-JUL-1970.
SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX9387 22-MAY-2010.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV358912	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. 1975. CUCAP BTS. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. Photograph (Paper). CUCAP BTS059 03-JUL-1975.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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