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Summary

An oval enclosure of possible Bronze Age to Iron Age date is visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2018 as cropmarks of ditches on the south-east facing slopes south-east of Bigbury Court Farm. The oval enclosure is further enclosed by two or three outer circuits of ditch, possibly representative of several phases of enclosure, resulting in a rectilinear multivallate enclosure.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DITCHED ENCLOSURE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))
• OVAL ENCLOSURE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Bluesky, 2006 - 2007, Bluesky aerial photographs 2006 - 2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV341189.

Cropmark enclosure visible on the BlueSky 2006-07 aerial imagery. Three ditches are apparent.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 15-JUL-2018 ACCESSED 15-FEB-2019 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

Cropmarks of a ditched enclosure are visible.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 22-JUN-2018 ACCESSED 15-FEB-2019 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

Cropmarks of a ditched enclosure are visible.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

A cropmark of a ditch circa 3.5 to 5m wide is visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2018 defining an oval enclosure circa 60 to 88m across on the south-east facing slopes south-east of Bigbury Court Farm. The cropmarks are not identifiable on the digital images available to the survey derived from 2006-2007 aerial photographs.
Cropmarks of possible further circuits of enclosure ditch 2.2m to 5m wide are visible, defining at least two and possibly three outer rings 8 to 20m wide.
The resulting rectilinear multivallate enclosure measures up to circa 180m across and nearly 2ha in area and is superficially comparable to the larger Iron Age lowland hillfort enclosure of Clovelly Dykes in North Devon. It is possible that the outer enclosures are representative of several phases of enclosure and might reflect different agricultural activities.
On the south-west side of the enclosure the cropmarks of the outer circuit cur or are cut by the cropmarks of a smaller and more regular ditched enclosure (MDV50109). It is probable that the smaller enclosure is evidence of a later phase of settlement.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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