*HBR/S/A – historic building recording/survey/assessment, DBA – Desk-based assessment,
HVIA – Historic visual impact assessment
Twenty-three reports were recorded in 2017. Of these, eleven were produced by SWARCH,
five by AC Archaeology, three by Substrata Ltd and one each by Martin Watts, West
Yorkshire Archaeology Services, Cornwall Archaeology Unit and Context One Archaeology
Services. Most were developer commissioned but four were commissioned by the public
sector to shed more light on known historic landscapes and features.
1. Barnstaple: BT Exchange, North Walk
Trenches were dug for the foundation of a sub-station and associated cable route
being built on a site between the telephone exchange and Castle Mound. Even the deepest
trench, 1.2m below surface level, did not penetrate beneath the made-up ground level
when the exchange was developed. Disappointingly, given the location, no features
were found and the finds were predominantly 19th/20th century.
2. Barnstaple: Guildhall, Butchers Row
A Historic Building Survey was commissioned by Barnstaple Town Council in order to
assist it with proposals to restore and refurbish some of the spaces within the building.
The survey outlines the history of the building and compares it with other town halls
in the area. It sets out a full description of all the rooms in the building, their
features and uses. It emphasises the evolution of the building and the mix of civic
and mercantile uses to which it is still put. Finally, it considers options for the
reuse and restoration of some of the rooms.
3. Barnstaple: Castle Mound
North Devon Council commissioned a geophysical survey of three areas of the Norman
motte and bailey castle in the centre of Barnstaple. These comprised castle Green,
the summit of the motte and the car park to the south that is considered to have
potentially formed another bailey. The results of the survey revealed a number of
anomalies, many of which appear to relate to the 19th century Castle House on the
north side, including possible garden features and former cattle market buildings
on the south side, beneath the car park. Other anomalies may represent Anglo-Saxon
grave sites, which are known to be present on Castle Green. On the summit of the
motte the outline of the donjon or keep could also be detected. The findings are
intended to help the Council with the management of the site.
4. Barnstaple: Church Grove, Newport
Monitoring of this site during groundworks for development was carried out because
it is located in the historic core of Newport, close to the site of a chapel that
was first documented in the 14th century. However, the only features and finds related
to the 19th/20th centuries, demonstrating that previous development had removed any
earlier features, to the depth of the excavation.
5. Barnstaple: Former Glove Factory, Ladywell, Pilton
The former glove factory site lies in the historic core of Pilton close to the parish
church and site of a former Benedictine monastery. The glove factory buildings were
to be converted to apartments and the investigation was a requirement of the planning
permission.
Of the seven trenches that were dug, five were described in the report as “archaeologically
sterile”. In trench two a possible tanning pit and associated culvert were observed
and in trench three an earlier cobbled surface and limestone flag associated with
an earlier phase of the industrial use of the site. Despite its location, no archaeological
features or deposits predating the post-mediaeval period were discovered, nor any
dateable finds. All the excavated features related to the post-mediaeval industrial
uses.
6. Bishops Nympton: Bish Mill
The former water mill building at Bish Mill, east of South Molton, was surveyed prior
to it being converted to a holiday cottage. The mill was included in the survey of
North Devon water mills carried out by NDAS and published in the 1980s. The mill
building was originally three stories and was probably built in 1870, although it
occupies the site of a mill that may have been the one referred to in the parish
record in Domesday Book. The mill was then owned by the Bishop of Exeter and continued
in that ownership well into the 19th century.
The survey is comprehensive and well-illustrated and, although the mill wheel and
mechanism were removed in the 1960s, the building re-roofed and many timbers replaced,
there is sufficient evidence in the remaining structure to illustrate how the mill
would have operated.
7. Brendon & Countisbury: Coombe Farm Barns
This is a report of a historic building record of two barns at Coombe Farm, prior
to their conversion to residential use. The barns were constructed in the mid-nineteenth
century as part of the remodelling of the farm. Barn 1 includes in its loft 17th
century beams which match those in the hall of the farmhouse. Barn 2 is single storey
and has been extensively altered in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Together
the barns are considered to add historic value to the farm complex.
8. Burrington: Homelands
Three evaluation trenches were excavated in advance of residential development at
this site, which is within the Conservation Area at Burrington. Three features were
identified in one of the trenches; all were modern. There were no finds.
9. Filleigh: Barton Close
This report sets out a historical visual assessment of the impact of proposed residential
development on the landscape of the Castle Hill estate. The report contains an extensive
history and description of the historic landscape, before setting out its assessment
of impact. It concludes that the impact on the historic landscape and in particular
on the registered park and garden would be negative/minor as the proposals will add
a modern element into the historic parkland but not intrude on any of the key views
or significantly alter its character.
10. Fremington: land west of Oakland Park South
Four trenches were excavated in a large field sloping down towards the Taw Estuary
at Sticklepath. The trenches were sited in locations were previous geophysics survey
suggested the presence of likely features. Archaeological features were discovered
in three of the trenches. They mainly related to former ditches that probably delineated
field boundaries of the strip fields that were present in the area. One or two features
contained fills and also yielded interesting finds.
Two worked flint places, probably Bronze Age were found in one of the trenches. Six
sherds of Late Bronze Age pottery were found in one trench, comprising a base angle
sherd and five fragments from it. It was interpreted by Henrietta Quinnell as suggestive
of Late Bronze Age Plain Ware and would be the first of this type identified in North
Devon.
Four sherds of mediaeval pottery were identified from two trenches. Two of these
were body sherds of North Devon Coarse ware, dated to c AD 1200-1450. One other was
a body sherd in a finer fabric. The fourth sherd was from a glazed North Devon jug
dating from the 14th or 15th centuries. There were twelve sherds of post-mediaeval
pottery and one piece of slag or clinker.
In summary, the featured relate to a pattern of fields established on the edge of
the mediaeval settlement. The finds indicate prehistoric occupation of the site,
probably in the Bronze Age and may indicate the attractiveness of the site, close
to and overlooking the Taw estuary, to a prehistoric community.
11. Heanton Punchardon: Chivenor Cross
A historical assessment of a site on the north side of the A361 just to the west
of Heanton Hill Lane was undertaken in view of possible residential development.
The site had been in agricultural use, including former orchards and was currently
used as a nursery, including a car park. There was very little evidence of archaeological
features, other than a possible field boundary; any that might have existed would
have been obliterated by the surfacing of the car park and construction of a gas
main through the site.
12. Ilfracombe: Holy Trinity
The parish church of Holy Trinity is Grade 1 listed with a 12th century church and
tower, enlarged in the 1320s and 15th century before substantial restoration in the
19th century. Limited historic building recording was carried out during partial
re-roofing on the northern side of the east end of the church. The exposure of the
roof timbers enabled an assessment of the evolution of the mediaeval building to
be carried out, including additional detail to that contained in both the listing
and the Pevsner description.
13. Knowstone: land adjacent to Enfield House
An area was excavated across the footprint of a proposed dwelling and through the
hedgebank to provide a site access. No features were found. Finds were mainly post-mediaeval
or modern. A single sherd of a mediaeval North Devon coarseware jar with a thumb
strip decoration was found from the bank. An extremely worn post-mediaeval grindstone
was also found in the hedgebank.
14. Landkey: Higher Hunnacott
This report describes limited historic building recording of standing structures
and recording of excavated trenches prior to residential development. The majority
of the archaeological features were post-mediaeval, primarily 19th century but much
altered in the 20th. Finds largely comprised North Devon coarseware of post-mediaeval
date, with other miscellaneous finds.
15. Landkey: land east of Westacott
This is a report of a magnetometer survey carried out on 55ha of land east of Westacott,
Barnstaple. The site lies between Acland Barton to the north, Acland Road to the
east and the A361 (North Devon Link Road) to the south. The site is currently a south-sloping
pasture, but was, until the late 1970s the site of Acland Wood.
The site is identified for residential development in the Local Plan.
The findings of the survey relate largely to geological and agricultural features,
including former field boundaries and field drains. In the north-west sector of the
site, adjoining Westacott, there are features of particular archaeological interest,
representative of a possible enclosure. Archaeological potential is deemed to be
low to moderate across the rest of the survey area.
16. Landkey: Westacott
This is the report of a follow-up trench evaluation to the geophysical survey carried
out on the site reported above. Little was found of an archaeological nature. Most
of the anomalies proved to be geological or recent land drainage, with a couple of
furrows of mediaeval or post-mediaeval origin. The only finds were a couple of pieces
of roof slate.
17. Lynton & Lynmouth: Furzehill Common
A walkover survey of 34 ha of open moorland and 2.5ha of enclosed land was carried
out by Cornwall Archaeology Unit on behalf of the Exmoor Mires Partnership. The report
records that the survey was beset by two problems: the projection on the GPS hand
held unit was not functioning properly making it difficult to locate features accurately,
and the weather conditions were adverse, consisting of strong winds, driving rain
and thick mist, making for very poor conditions for photography!
Nevertheless, the survey managed to identify a number of features. These ranged from
post-mediaeval mounds, probably comprising collapsed peat or turf stacks, and quarries
to pre-historic stone settings, boundaries and cairns, including a possible ring
cairn. A mediaeval/post-mediaeval holloway was also identified.
18. Lynton & Lynmouth: land at Lee Abbey
This report presents the results of an archaeological magnetometer and resistance
survey on land east of Lee Abbey, commissioned by Exmoor National Park. The identified
anomalies coincide with, and most likely represent, an extant prehistoric bank, elements
of a relict Bronze Age field system, a section of post-mediaeval estate boundary
wall, an extant ploughed-over circular mound and an extant sub-circular platform.
The last two are considered to be either prehistoric or have a World War II origin.
Two other sub-circular features could represent a cairn and a barrow. Other features
had characteristics associated with field or enclosure boundaries, which, in the
context of Lee Abbey, are considered to be mediaeval or earlier.
19. Marwood: Chapel Farm
This is the report of a geophysics survey commissioned by Devon County Council, in
order to understand more about the archaeological potential of a small Iron Age enclosure
on a west-facing hill slope above the Knowl Water, near Lee House in the parish of
Marwood. The magnetometer survey produced results that were slightly at odds with
the RCHME survey, in as much as the gap in the enclosure bank appeared to be on the
opposite (west) side to that previously understood, although there were other suggested
reasons for this outcome, including the fact that at the time of the original survey
the site was enclosed within woodland, which had since been felled and the site ploughed.
The gap may also coincide with a woodland ride.
Other anomalies could represent disturbed ground with archaeological potential, whilst
one appeared to show a potential ring ditch outside and to the north of the enclosure.
Further investigation would be required to verify this.
20. North Molton: Moorland View
This report describes the monitoring and recording of excavations carried out during
the course of the construction of a dwelling on a garden site between terraced dwellings
on the north Side of Eat Street in the historic core of the village. The excavation
features and finds suggested four phases of activity. The first was mediaeval prospection
pits, probably to test the presence of iron ore, given the prevalence of iron-working
in the village at that period. These pits yielded finds of mediaeval pottery, but
were apparently only open for a very short period.
Phase two comprised subsequent terracing of the site and construction of a cobbled
floor in the 17th/18th centuries. Phase three represented the reinstatement of the
rear boundary of the site and construction of a building that included a fireplace
and four cobbled floors, in the 18th/19th centuries. The final phase was the demolition
of the building and landscaping of the site in the nineteenth century.
21. South Molton: 2 Albion Place
Monitoring and recording were carried out during groundworks for the construction
of a house on the site of a fire-damaged dwelling. The site was assessed due to its
location in the centre of the historic core of the town, where burgage plots might
have been expected, with associated finds. In the event, due to earlier ground disturbance,
no pre-modern features or finds were observed.
22. South Molton: Norrington Yard
This lengthy report contains a desk-based assessment, walkover survey description
and historic visual impact assessment of a large site in the historic core of South
Molton. The desk-based assessment outlines the development of South Molton and its
importance in the mediaeval and post-mediaeval period, as a manor, minster town and
borough, whose prosperity was founded on wool and agricultural produce.
The site lies to the east of South Street and south of the Market Hall (Pannier Market).
It is in several parts. The larger part to the south and east was an open field for
much of the period until the 20th century resulted in its industrial use. The northern
and western parts lay within the area of mediaeval burgage plots to the rear of Broad
Street and South Street. The walkover survey revealed the 19th and 20th century structures,
including walls that represented its more recent uses.
The visual assessment considers that, although the development of the site will have
a visual impact on the listed structures on South Street and, in particular, the
Market hall, the impact could be positive compared to the present derelict state
of the site.
The report points out that previous archaeological investigation of the town has
shed very little light on its history, bearing in mind its antiquity and importance.
One pit excavated on a site to the south of Broad Street was considered to be a mediaeval
refuse pit, containing North Devon coarseware of the period. Investigation of a site
to the south of the town at the Rugby Club site revealed undated enclosures that
were probably prehistoric, but no finds enabling them to be dated. To the north-west
of the town, a site investigation at Gunswell Lane revealed a double-ditched Iron
Age enclosure.
23. South Molton: The Old Savoy Cinema, New Road
This a report of a historic building survey of the Art Deco New Savoy Cinema building
before it was demolished. The survey was carried out in 2008 but not published until
2017. The report describes both the exterior and interior of the building. The cinema
was built in 1935. Although its use as a cinema ceased in 1970, it had subsequently
been used for retail and storage purposes and some internal alterations had taken
place. Nevertheless, many art deco features were retained and the projection room
upstairs was still in its original condition, complete with original projection and
other equipment, at the time of the survey.
Conclusions
Few reports reveal significant new finds. Of the five Barnstaple reports three show
the limitations of developer-led archaeology, where the depth of excavation is determined
by the needs of the development, rather than the archaeological potential of the
site. All three were in potentially significant historic core locations, but none
penetrated deep enough to go beyond 19th or 20th century construction layers.
The two reports commissioned by Exmoor National Park reveal additional information
about their respective historic landscapes. The two reports about residential development
sites on the edge of Barnstaple also reveal something of the archaeological potential
of the area, particularly the finds on the site at Sticklepath. South Molton remains
tantalisingly close to investigation that reveals more of its mediaeval history.
21st March 2020
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