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Summary

A curvilinear enclosure of probable later prehistoric but potentially medieval date is visible as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs of the 1940s and images derived from lidar data of 2021 enclosing the hilltop to the west of Suddon Wood, Newton St Petrock parish. Castle and Castle Park field names further suggest a fortified site in this location.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CURVILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Early Iron Age to Roman - 700 BC (Between) to 409 AD (Between))
• HILLTOP ENCLOSURE (Early Iron Age to Late Medieval - 700 BC? (Between) to 1539 AD? (Between))

Full description

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

Field names Castle Park (parcel number 641), and Castle (parcel number 638), recorded on the circa 1840s Newton St. Petrock tithe apportionment, may indicate the presence of a castle or fortified site.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

A combination of a curvilinear cropmark and earthwork located to the west of Suddon Wood may indicate remnants of a hilltop enclosure. Field names, Castle and Castle Park documented in the 19th century tithe apportionment further suggest that this may have once been a fortified site.

University of Exeter, 2020-2021, University of Exeter Unlocking Landscapes Project – validated data, ULDEV64 (Interpretation). SDV365999.

Ovoid earthwork enclosure measuring maximum 86m across, with indications of an outer set of enclosing earthworks 150m across. Note that Tithe field names are 'Castle' and 'Castle Park'.

Environment Agency, 2021, University of Exeter Understanding Landscapes Project - Lidar visualisation (Cartographic). SDV366001.

Curvilinear enclosures are visible as earthwork banks.

Carroll, S., 2022, Field Names and Earthworks to the west of Suddon Wood, Newton St. Petrock, Torridge (Interpretation). SDV364992.

Interpretation of Lidar imagery which show a curvilinear earthwork of a possible hilltop enclosure. The circa 1840s tithe apportionment document the names of two field parcels in this area as Castle Park and Castle. The field names and earthworks together suggest there may have once been a fortified site or a castle here.

Knight, S., 2022, Interpretation of aerial photographs and other remote sensing data (Personal Comment). SDV364055.

Curvilinear earthwork banks are visible on lidar imagery captured in 2022 and aerial photographs taken in the 1940s. Some correspond to removed field boundaries of medieval character that are depicted on the Tithe map, but appear substantial and may indicate a more significant earthwork, perhaps forming the south side of an earlier enclosure around the hilltop. Two parallel curvilinear banks to the east could have formed the eastern edge of the enclosure and a subdivision (or expansion), or may be relict medieval field boundaries. A northern edge to the possible enclosure could be indicated by an indistinct pale curvilinear parchmark visible on 1940s aerial photographs, but is more likely to have resulted from a modern trackway.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV9082 - Lidar Survey: University of Exeter Unlocking Landscapes Project

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