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Summary

A former orchard of post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs as the remains of slight earthwork ridges on the south-facing slopes south of Townhill Farm, Broad Clyst. The banks were probably made to provide increased soil depth and improved drainage for fruit tree planting. The ridges have probably been levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1946 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

The banks correspond with an orchard depicted in this location.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RP 3164-3165 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354994.

Earthwork banks were visible.

BKS Surveys Ltd, 1967, BKS/2822, BKS/2822 V 3001-3002 14-MAR-1967 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354836.

Earthwork banks were visible.

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

A former orchard of post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs as the remains of slight earthwork ridges on the south-facing slopes south of Townhill Farm, Broad Clyst. The banks were probably made to provide increased soil depth and improved drainage for fruit tree planting.
The banks were probably made to provide increased soil depth for fruit tree planting, and were typically built crossing the contours of the slope to enhance drainage. The visible ridges were circa 6 to 7 metres wide and orientated roughly north-south and east-west.
The visible ridges correspond with an irregularly shaped orchard depicted on the Ordnance Survey Second Edition 25inch map, and therefore probably remained in use into the 20th century. However, the banks had been cleared of trees by 1946. The banks remained visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1967 but were not visible on more recent images and have probably been levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV354836	Aerial Photograph: BKS Surveys Ltd. 1967. BKS/2822. BKS Surveys Ltd. Photograph (Paper). BKS/2822 V 3001-3002 14-MAR-1967. [Mapped feature: #71966 ]
SDV354994	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1823. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RP 3164-3165 04-NOV-1946.
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

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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