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Summary

A triple ditched enclosure of probable late prehistoric to Roman date was visible on aerial photographs as linear cropmarks at Budlake. A possible interpretation as a Roman Fort has been suggested but is seen as problematical.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Triple ditched enclosure, possibly of Roman date at Budlake

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS90SE/74

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DITCHED ENCLOSURE (Early Iron Age to Roman - 700 BC to 409 AD)
• TRAPEZOIDAL ENCLOSURE (Early Iron Age to Roman - 700 BC to 409 AD)
• FORT? (I to Roman - 1 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

Devon County Council, 1984, DAP 3589, DAP 3589/08-10 15-AUG-1984 (DV) (Aerial Photograph). SDV357126.

A triple ditched enclosure is visible. Map object based partly on this source.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BH, 27-32 (Aerial Photograph). SDV267544.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BH, Devon County Council DAP/BH 32 06-JUL-1984 (Aerial Photograph). SDV267544.

A triple ditched enclosure is visible. Map object based partly on this source.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BI, 11, 12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV364880.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BJ, 2, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV344167.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/CL, 11a-12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV364881.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DE, 3a, 4-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337670.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DN, 6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV74728.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DV, 8-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337672.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, Roman Military Sites in Devon: Some Recent Discoveries, 25-26, Fig. 6, Pl. 7 (Article in Serial). SDV35308.

Part of a triple-ditched enclosure was observed on a low spur overlooking the Culm valley at Killerton during a programme of aerial reconnaisance undertaken in 1984. The site appears to be the south side, with a possible entrance, and part of the west and east sides of a possible Roman fort. The northern section of the enclosure looks to lie within a plantation.
The interior is about 88m across, east-west. No internal features were recorded.
A number of other, external, cropmarks were also recorded but their relationship to the enclosure is unclear.
No finds have been found during fieldwalking apart from numerous flowerpots, although material dated to the first century AD has been found 500m to the north-west.

Frere, S. S., 1985, Roman Britain in 1984, 305 (Article in Serial). SDV35311.

The southern end of a possible Roman fort, with triple ditches was observed from the air. Internal east-west dimension is 88m.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1985, SS90SE22 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV129834.

Reference in Britannia to the southern end of a probable fort with triple ditches observed from the air. The east-west dimension between the ditches is 88m.

Maxwell, G. S. + Wilson, D. R., 1987, Air Reconnaissance in Roman Britain 1977-84, 5-6 (Article in Serial). SDV35314.

Wilson suggests that slight irregularities in the ditch alignments of the south side may mean that the site has more than one phase. It is also suggested that the identification as a fort remains hazardous.

DCC, 1987, DAP 5652, DAP 5652/09-11 17-JUL-1987 (IW) (Aerial Photograph). SDV357595.

A triple ditched enclosure is visible. Map object based partly on this source.

Griffith, F. M., 1987, DAP/IS, 8-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV129838.

Griffith, F. M., 1987, DAP/JC, 5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340967.

Griffith, F. M., 1988, DAP/KK, 11-12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV233517.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/MR, 1-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV122820.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/NY, 7-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV346317.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/OS, 8-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV321427.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/QW, 9-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV338777.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/SE, 9-11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV241752.

Robinson, R. + Griffith, F. M., 1992, Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project, Photos T12-13 (Site Visit). SDV339622.

Site visit 16th January 1992. No visible earthworks.

Griffith, F. M., 1996, DAP/ZW, 7-9a (Aerial Photograph). SDV321043.

National Trust, 2000, Killerton Estate Archaeological Survey. Part 4. The Farms: Ashclyst - Elbury, 403/3 (Report - Survey). SDV337022.

The paired ditches to the east are not thought to be related to the triple ditched enclosure.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

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

A triple ditched enclosure of probable late prehistoric to Roman date was visible on aerial photographs as linear cropmarks at Budlake. The enclosure is slightly trapezoidal in plan, its widest post being towards the southern end where it measures up to circa 87 metres across; the enclosure narrows slightly to the north on its western edge, measuring circa 72 metres across at the northernmost visible extent. The northern edge of the enclosure cannot be seen as cropmarks and its full extent is therefore not known. However, the visible cropmarks define an enclosed are a minimum of circa 115 metres long, north to south. The ditch cropmarks are under 2 metres in width and spaced between 2 and 4 metres apart. Whilst the ditches on the eastern side of the enclosure are fairly regular in plan, those to the west, most particularly the south-western corner, are variable in spacing. No or internal features or breaks in the ditch plan that could be interpreted as entrances have been noted. A narrow linear cropmark crosses the southernmost quadrant of the enclosure from north-east to south-west, but is probably evidence of agricultural activity of modern date.

Papworth, M., 2021, Triple Ditched Enclosure, Budlake Farm, Killerton Estate: Geophysical Survey (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV364410.

This triple ditched enclosure is an archaeological site which was identified through aerial photography in the 1980s. It lies on the crest of a spur of land running south-east from the hilltop occupied by Dolbury Iron Age Hillfort. Both sites lie on the National Trust’s Killerton Estate in East Devon. The hillfort being 230m north of Killerton House and the enclosure 900m east of it. The aerial photograph shows the clear outline of the Budlake site and its playing card shape gave it the appearance of the standard plan of a Roman fort.
The magnetometry and earth resistance survey carried out by the National Trust in 2019 supports the identification of the site as a fort. Only one entrance identified in southern defences, facing a deep stone quarry. As with the aerial photographic evidence no entrances were recorded on the other sides. The central part of fort/survey area lost due to presence of the gas pipeline. The northeast end of the fort is not visible in the surveys. The survey shows evidence of quarrying and other ground disturbance on the interior. However, a rectilinear feature 20m by 6-7m within the fort and aligned parallel to the southern defences, may be evidence of a timber building such as a barrack block.
From the study of other Roman military sites in Devon it seems likely that the Budlake fort was built during the initial Roman Conquest of Devon in the period AD 50-60 and may have continued to be occupied up until AD70s when the Legio II left Exeter. It may even have continued in use up to the 80s. There could be more than one phase of occupation and geophysical anomaly 5 may indicate that there was originally a smaller fortlet that was enlarged to become the triple-ditched fort.
An excavation should expect to find beam slots and post-holes as evidence of timber-framed and wattle and daub buildings within the fort, but remains of a settlement outside the fort should also be expected.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV122820	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1989. DAP/MR. Devon Aerial Photograph. 1-3.
SDV129834	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1985. SS90SE22. OSAD Card. Card Index + Digital.
SDV129838	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1987. DAP/IS. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper) + Digital (Scan). 8-9.
SDV233517	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1988. DAP/KK. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 11-12.
SDV241752	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1990. DAP/SE. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 9-11.
SDV267544	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/BH. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 27-32.
SDV321043	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1996. DAP/ZW. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 7-9a.
SDV321427	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1989. DAP/OS. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 8-9.
SDV337022	Report - Survey: National Trust. 2000. Killerton Estate Archaeological Survey. Part 4. The Farms: Ashclyst - Elbury. National Trust Archaeological Survey Report. A4 Stapled + Digital. 403/3.
SDV337670	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/DE. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 3a, 4-6.
SDV337672	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/DV. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 8-10.
SDV338777	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1990. DAP/QW. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 9-10.
SDV339622	Site Visit: Robinson, R. + Griffith, F. M.. 1992. Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project. Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project. Photos T12-13.
SDV340967	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1987. DAP/JC. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 5.
SDV344167	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/BJ. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 2, 3.
SDV346129	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2011. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #86413 ]
SDV346317	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1989. DAP/NY. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 7-9.
SDV35308	Article in Serial: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. Roman Military Sites in Devon: Some Recent Discoveries. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 42. A5 Paperback. 25-26, Fig. 6, Pl. 7.
SDV35311	Article in Serial: Frere, S. S.. 1985. Roman Britain in 1984. Britannia. 16. Unknown. 305.
SDV35314	Article in Serial: Maxwell, G. S. + Wilson, D. R.. 1987. Air Reconnaissance in Roman Britain 1977-84. Britannia. 18. Unknown. 5-6.
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
SDV357126	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1984. DAP 3589. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 3589/08-10 15-AUG-1984 (DV).
SDV357595	Aerial Photograph: DCC. 1987. DAP 5652. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 5652/09-11 17-JUL-1987 (IW).
SDV364410	Report - Geophysical Survey: Papworth, M.. 2021. Triple Ditched Enclosure, Budlake Farm, Killerton Estate: Geophysical Survey. National Trust. HBSMR 107452/ MNA102604. Digital.
SDV364880	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/BI. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper) + Photograph (Digital). 11, 12.
SDV364881	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/CL. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper) + Digital (Scan). 11a-12.
SDV74728	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/DN. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 6.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)
• EDV8703 - Geophysical Survey: Budlake Farm, Killerton Estate (Ref: HBSMR 107452/ MNA102604)

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