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Summary

Cropmarks which have formed over possible infilled ditches of a prehistoric or Romano-British enclosure are visible on oblique aerial photographs of 1992 and 1996, at Hayes Farm. The enclosure is located in an area where a large number of other such cropmarks have been recorded, including a number of other enclosures, as well as numerous ring ditches. Excavation in 2020 ascribed a Roman date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Roman - 43 AD (Between) to 409 AD (Between)) + Sci.Date

Full description

Devon County Council, Devon Air Photograph Transcriptions (Cartographic). SDV344181.

Map object previously based on this source.

Devon County Council, 1992, DAP 14402, DAP 14402/28-29 29-JUN-1992 (VG) (Aerial Photograph). SDV359251.

Cropmarks which have formed over infilled ditches are visible. Map object based on this source.

Horner, B., 1992, DAP/VO, 17-19 (Aerial Photograph). SDV122355.

Series of L-shaped and linear crop marks possibly delineating part of a double enclosure and a trackway.

Griffith, F. M., 1996, DAP/AAS, Devon County Council DAP/AAS 5 23-JUL-1996 (Aerial Photograph). SDV122377.

Cropmarks which have formed over infilled ditches are visible. Map object based on this source.

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

Cropmarks which have formed over possible infilled ditches of a prehistoric or Romano-British enclosure are visible on oblique aerial photographs of 1992 and 1996, at Hayes Farm. The cropmarks form part of a possible double-ditched rectilinear enclosure which measures approximately 40m in width and at least 60m in length. It is characterised by a double-ditched entrance along its eastern side with two fairly angular corners to the south, as well as cropmarks of possible internal features. The northern edge of the enclosure is not visible on aerial photographs and is possibly obscured by a now removed field boundary. The enclosure is located in an area where a large number of other such cropmarks have been recorded, including a number of other enclosures, as well as numerous ring ditches. The area forms part of an important prehistoric and Romano-British landscape and has been subject to fairly extensive aerial survey.

Randall, C. + Orellana, J., 2023, Prehistoric, Roman and Early Medieval Landscapes at Hayes Farm: Excavations at Exeter Logistics Park, 48-52; Figs 4-7 (Article in Serial). SDV366041.

Roman features occurred mainly in Area 2, some extending east into Area 1, and generally consisted of the remains of two substantial rectilinear ditched enclosures (Enclosures A and B), both of which correlate with previously recorded cropmarks, and other associated features. A number of interventions were excavated across the enclosure ditches.
Enclosure A was rectangular on a SSW-NNE alignment, 63m by 52m, and sat within a natural coombe, with its north and south sides following the natural slope downhill. Its substantial ditch had a pronounced V-shaped profile. It had an entrance on the SE side, which was defined by steep ditch terminals.
There appears to have been a greater concentration of refuse disposed of in the NE part of the enclosure, where the upper fill contained a substantial amount of finds, consisting of 53 sherds of Roman pottery, 4 iron items, fired clay and two fragments of Roman brick and roof tile. A large fragment of unidentifiable burn animal bone and several small bone fragments were also recovered from the same fill.
Radiocarbon dates from a hazelnut shell fragment from a substantial dump of probable crop processing waste and from a probable dump of hearth material, along with pottery recovered from the same context, point to a 2nd- to 3rd century AD date.
Two probably contemporary features were recorded within Enclosure A: a well containing pottery datable to the earlier Roman period, and a ditch (Ditch 8) which contained early and late Roman pottery, and which may have respected Ring Ditch 1.
Several ditches arranged around the outside of Enclosure A, to its south and east, appear to represent a field system that surrounded the enclosure.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV122355	Aerial Photograph: Horner, B.. 1992. DAP/VO. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 17-19.
SDV122377	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1996. DAP/AAS. Devon Aerial Photograph. Devon County Council DAP/AAS 5 23-JUL-1996.
SDV344181	Cartographic: Devon County Council. Devon Air Photograph Transcriptions. Devon Air Photograph Transcriptions. Map (Digital).
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
SDV359251	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1992. DAP 14402. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 14402/28-29 29-JUN-1992 (VG).
SDV366041	Article in Serial: Randall, C. + Orellana, J.. 2023. Prehistoric, Roman and Early Medieval Landscapes at Hayes Farm: Excavations at Exeter Logistics Park. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 81. Paperback Volume. 48-52; Figs 4-7.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)
• EDV9088 - Excavation at Exeter Logistics Park (Phase 2), Hayes Farm, Clyst St. Mary

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