Thus some 19 sites were examined in 16 parishes. A total of 6 commercial organisations
were involved, with South West Archaeology producing 13 reports, AC Archaeology producing
2 reports and Context One Archaeology, Peninsula Archaeology, R W Parker Associates,
and Wessex Archaeology producing 1 each. Half of the proposed developments were
for wind turbines.
Reports
1. Abbotsham: The Thatched Inn
The report covered a watching brief during refurbishment and an extension of the
village pub. On the site of the extension, the overburden removed proved to have
been almost entirely modern and when the presumed initial surface was reached, nothing
of archaeological interest was found.
2. Ashwater: Swingdon Farm
The report covered a proposed wind turbine site at Swingdon Farm, some 3.5km NW of
Ashwater village and about 2km ESE of Clawton village. Map evidence showed that
the site had been part of Sandworthy Moor, an area of unenclosed upland grazing until
the early nineteenth century. The wind turbine site is surrounded by 10 bowl-barrows,
but none is affected by the proposed development. A geophysics survey of the entire
site produced no probable archaeology, although some old field boundaries, relating
to the nineteenth century enclosure of Sandworthy Moor were revealed. Field walking
produced no finds. Visual impact of the turbines on archaeological and historic
sites was generally neutral or negative/minor in a few cases.
3. Bideford: Caddsdown
The report was a pre-development appraisal, using documentary and cartographic evidence,
of a site on the western approach to Bideford from the A39. The Historic Landscape
Characterisation had suggested that the area was one of medieval enclosures of strip
fields. Successive maps in the nineteenth century showed considerable changes to
field boundaries from c 1840 to c1890. To the SW of the site a small farm at Ginnetts
was shown in early maps but this too has been lost. The documentary record shows
nothing of any archaeological significance.
4. Bideford: 40 Meddon Street
The report covers monitoring and recording on land to the rear of 40 Meddon Street
during its re-development and subsequent erection of a single dwelling. The site
was probably a sub-division of a medieval burgage plot. Monitoring took the form
of a test pit and the close scrutiny of foundation trenches as they were dug. No
major archaeology was found but the trenches and pit yielded some shards of pottery.
One was of North Devon medieval coarse ware and 2 larger and 2 far smaller shards
were of eighteenth century North Devon gravel-tempered ware. There was also one shard
of nineteenth century North Devon gravel-tempered ware.
5. Bideford: Cleave Wood, East-the-Water
The report concerns a site on the hills above East-the-Water, adjoining known sites
of nineteenth century extractive and industrial use. It is bisected by Manteo Way,
the modern access road to the East-the-Water industrial estates. The report covers
desk-based analysis and walk-over survey. Map evidence shows that there was no recorded
industrial use c 1840 but subsequently parts of the site were used for a Paint Works
and just to the north there was quarrying and mining for Bideford Black, the pigment
used in the paint factory. A track-way was found on the site, along with a cistern
and water channel. Given the industrial history of East-the-Water, the site yielded
surprisingly little.
6. Bridgerule: Tatson Farm
The site lies in the Tamar east bank part of Bridgerule parish, about 2 km east of
the village centre. The site was proposed as the location of single wind-turbine.
The site formed part of a medieval farm and hamlet complex. The precise history
of the settlement of Dux, of which Tatson Farm formed a part, is not clear. Other
similar settlements in northern Devon saw phases of expansion when a founding farm
was subdivided, and later contraction and consolidation, when population fell following
amalgamation or rationalisation of farms. No recorded evidence of archaeology on
the site was found and walk-over survey added no further information. The local
landscape has only limited archaeology within a five kilometre radius, although almost
all of this is post-medieval. A visual impact survey showed that most were neutral
or negative/minor, although those on St Bridget’s church in Bridgerule and a bowl
barrow near Dux were rated as negative/moderate.
7. Cookbury: Bishop’s Farm
The report is for a proposed wind turbine on land at Bishop’s Farm, just off the
A3072 east of Holsworthy and about 1 km east of Anvil Corner. It was based on desk-study,
geophysical survey, evaluation trenches and field walk-over. Unusually for sites
in NW Devon, there was a good documentary record from the early modern period. The
land had comprised part of Stapledon, a known medieval settlement in a landscape
of piecemeal enclosures of strip fields. Leases of the early seventeenth century
record a decayed settlement at Walland and this land is part of a tenement in the
Tithe Survey called Walland Agistment. An agistment is usually land which receives
livestock from neighbouring farms during summer. In 1799 a map was made of the manor
of Stapledon for the owners, the Misses May (who continued to be significant land-owners
in Cookbury at the time of the Tithe Survey). One of the fields in the estate map
of 1799 was called Town Place, which is interpreted as being the site of the decayed
settlement of nearly two hundred years earlier. Geophysical survey of the actual
turbine site seemed to show the old manor house and a triple-ditched enclosure. Geophysical
survey was extended to cover more of the land and this generated two further ring-ditches
in the NW. The Historic Environment Record shows a bowl barrow nearby and the two
ring ditches could be further examples. Two evaluation trenches were dug on the
site of the turbine base. Trench 1 showed linear features corresponding to the geophysical
survey and were interpreted as former field boundaries. Trench two exposed several
post holes. The ditch fill yielded two fragments of Romano-British gabbroic ware.
The triple-ditched enclosure is probably best now interpreted as having experienced
Roman-British occupation, even if it may have been established contemporaneously
with the probable Bronze Age ring-ditches nearby. The site is thus noteworthy in
establishing probable Roman-British occupation in this part of North West Devon.
The visual impact assessment concluded that most impacts would be neutral or negative/minor
but that on St Petrock’s church at Hollacombe was rated as negative/substantial and
negative/moderate impacts were expected at three medieval farm sites and on the churches
in Cookbury itself, Holsworthy and Thornbury.
8. East Putford: Raleigh
The report concerned renovations to a listed building. Concrete floors were removed.
The original soil levels were exposed but no features were seen and only modern
glazed pottery was found. The site may have been that of one of the original farms
of the parish and the floor plan hints at it having perhaps been a long-house.
9. Hartland: Higher Brownsham
The report was a desk-based study and historic building recording of work being carried
out at Brownsham, a hamlet in Hartland parish, some 3 km NE of Hartland village.
Renovation work involved removal of render on the north-east elevation of the building
and allowed a new interpretation of the evolution of the building to be formed. The
original building is thought to be early seventeenth century and was extended in
the mid-seventeenth century. In the mid-nineteenth century, the upper end of the
house was rebuilt as a barn. A quantity of seventeenth century plaster-work survives,
especially on the ceiling of a first floor room.
10. High Bickington: St Mary’s Church
The report details a survey of the roof of the church as part of repair work. One
aspect was the removal of slates and lead work to expose the original wall toppings
and allow these to be examined for evidence of earlier roof structures and possible
development of the church itself. The church proved to be complex in its structure
and visible discontinuities in the masonry in the walls did not coincide with apparent
discontinuities in the roof structures. Richard Parker, the report’s author, tentatively
suggested a five phase evolution of the church (shown in figures 32 and 33).
11. Monkleigh: Barton Meadow
The report concerns a pre-development appraisal of a site within Monkleigh village
where a small estate of houses was to be built. Documentary sources were consulted
and a previous geophysical survey was used to identify locations for four evaluation
trenches. Most of the anomalies from this earlier geophysical survey proved to be
modern pipes. Only in trench 2 was there any significant archaeology, a ditch probably
relating to a field boundary made redundant by rationalisation in the late eighteenth
or early nineteenth centuries. Shards of North Devon medieval coarse-ware were found
and dated to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and further shards of post-Medieval
North Devon gravel-tempered ware were found. The top-soil yielded shards of eighteenth
and nineteenth century North Devon gravel-tempered ware and nineteenth century clay
pipe stems.
12. Northam: St Margaret’s church
The report accompanied works in the church to lower raised plinths beneath the pews
and to renew and modify the below floor heating system. The church is largely of
fifteenth century construction, although the base of the tower may be earlier. A
north aisle was added in 1593 and the whole structure was extensively restored between
1849 and 1865. Plans for this reordering exist but no record exists of the church
as it was before. In Martha’s Corner in the NW of the church, a brick vault was
uncovered that appeared to be just earlier than the mid-nineteenth century reordering.
An engraved slate slab was found with one of the names, Margaret Wren being commemorated
in a stained glass window at the west end of the north aisle.
13. Pancrasweek: Virworthy Farm
The report is of a watching brief during excavation of a cable service trench to
a wind-turbine at Virworthy Farm, about 6 km SW of Bradworthy village. The Historic
Environment Record has a probable medieval oval enclosure to the north of the farm.
The cable trench cuts through fields within this enclosure. No dating evidence
for the hedge-banks was found. Top-soil for the cable trench yielded two shards
of medieval North Devon gravel tempered ware, one appeared to be from a cooking pot.
14. Peters Marland: Marland Primary School
The report was predevelopment appraisal of playing fields adjacent to the primary
school where it was intended to construct a new sports hall. The report covers a
review of documentary evidence and evaluation of three trial trenches. The site
was considered to be close to or perhaps part of a medieval manorial complex and
previously medieval pottery had been found nearby. Nothing was shown by any of the
trial trenches and no artefacts were found.
15. Pyworthy: East Balsdon Farm
The report covered desk study of the site, walk-over and visual impact evaluation
of a wind-turbine. The actual site is 3 km SSW of Pyworthy village and formed a
part of the lands of the medieval hamlet of Tinney. The site of the turbine lies
on an old enclosed common, which was shown parcelled up on the Tithe Map. Walk-over
produced no archaeology. The Historic Environment Record contains few locations
within visual range of the turbine. The visual impact survey assessed most impacts
as neutral or negative/minor and only St Bridget’s church in Bridgrule and the two
bowl barrows on Affland Moor had a negative/moderate impact.
16. St Giles-on-the-Heath: Hollow Panson Farm
The report concerned 9 trial trenches dug at Hollow Panson Farm following an earlier
geophysical survey that had shown a number of anomalies. The site is approximately
1 km east of the A388 and about 2.5km north of St Giles-on-the-Heath village and
the proposed development was of 6 wind turbines. Desk-study showed a number of locations
nearby that featured in the Historic Environment Record, including a probable Roman0-British
enclosure some 350 metres SW of the site. Also nearby on and around Henford Moor,
there was evidence of a medieval field system with probable later encroachments on
Henford Moor itself. The trial trenches yielded no archaeology and top soil gave
just a single piece of worked flint.
17. Winkleigh: Bryony Hill Farm
The report comprised desk-based assessment, geophysical survey and site walk-over
and visual impact assessment for a single wind turbine to be erected on land at Bryony
Hill Farm, at the western edge of the parish and about 2.5km west of Winkleigh village.
The farm building itself is a Grade II listed structure, although it appears that
the lands were part of the early nineteenth century holding of Hill. Geophysical
survey showed a number of anomalies that could be of archaeological origin, most
probably being linear features suggesting that they were former field boundaries
. The report concluded that there was little or no archaeological interest within
the site. The visual impact assessment estimated most impacts to be neutral or
negative/minor. Three historic farmhouses and a cottage together with the churches
of All Saints, Winkleigh, All Hallows, Broadwoodkelly and St James, Iddesleigh had
negative/moderate impacts.
18. Winkleigh: Linden House, Castle Street
The report concerned the erection of a dwelling house adjacent to Linden House, within
the historic core of the village of Winkleigh. In the Tithe Survey of 1843, the
site was undeveloped and the paucity of finds in the top-soil and service trenches
would suggest that the site had not had substantial use in the early modern period.
A gully and ditch was found in the NE corner of the site and this appeared to have
been abandoned in the late medieval or early modern period. Pottery fragments of
sixteenth and seventeenth century age were found. A few pieces of medieval North
Devon tempered and gravel free ware were found but from the fill in later contexts.
19. Woolfardisworthy: Higher Fordmill Farm
The report concerns the erection of a single wind-turbine within Higher Fordmill
Farm, Woolfardisworthy, about 3 km due South of Woolfardisworthy village. The report
details desk-based study, walk-over survey, geophysical survey and a visual impact
assessment. Fordmill is one of the medieval hamlets of Woolfardisworthy parish and
probably had its own open field system. The present farmstead is eighteenth century.
Walk-over survey showed little and the Historic Environment Record contains few
entries for the slightly wider area. Geophysical survey showed linear anomalies
that were probably former field boundaries. The visual impact assessment suggested
that most impacts would be neutral or negative/minor and for only the old manor house
in Woolfardisworthy and the bowl barrow near Higher Narracott would the impact be
negative/moderate.
Discussion
The Historic Environment Record for Torridge District contains relatively few entries
and the work at the various sites across the district in 2013 added little to that
which was already known. In most cases the archaeology confirmed medieval occupation
of sites and showed removal of field boundaries, especially since the mid-nineteenth
century. Bishops Farm at Cookbury contains the most interesting new information
and strongly suggests that this is another site with Romano-British occupation in
an area with little other possible archaeology from this period. It is also notable
that the visual impact assessments of the wind turbines proposed were generally rated
as neutral or negative/minor impacts on archaeological and historic sites, reflecting
both the relative paucity of such sites in Torridge and the blocking effects of the
undulating topography. Almost all the impacts rated as negative/moderate were on
parish churches, the only other structures as tall as wind turbines.
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