| Summary: | A magnetometer survey was selected to provide a relatively fast and cost-effective evaluation of any buried archaeology across the Survey Area (see Section 12). The magnetic anomaly groups pertaining to potential buried archaeology were georeferenced to the Ordnance Survey National Grid, mapped, characterised and assigned with an appropriate degree of certainty in conformance with the survey aims and objectives set out in Section 4. The differences in magnetic responses across the Survey Area were sufficient to be able to differentiate between anomalies representing possible buried archaeology and background magnetic responses.
Twenty-nine magnetic anomaly groups have been characterised as representing potential buried archaeology. Of these, one group represents a western extension of an extant, scheduled medieval woodbank (Historic Environment Record (HER) MDV76130, Scheduled Monument 1020553). This extension was mapped as a field boundary on historic maps up to 1906-7. Three groups coincide with, and likely represent, field boundaries recorded on historic maps until 1906-7. One group may represent a ditched track in the vicinity of the prehistoric trackway known as Goatpath which fords the river Dart at Staverton Ford Island to the north of this anomaly group. Four groups represent curvilinear deposits that are not typical of the field and agricultural boundaries often mapped during geophysical surveys. They are situated in what may be a generally wetter area of ground. Three groups, if archaeologically associated with each other, are also not typical of agrarian field and enclosure boundaries and may represent an archaeological feature. The remaining anomaly groups have characteristics that often define fragments of field boundaries and enclosures of unknown origin and date. |
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