Monument record MDO43815 - Later prehistoric linear earthwork, Launceston Down, Tarrant Launceston

A later prehistoric linear earthwork on the north western edge of Launceston Down, Tarrant Launceston, is visible as ditched and banked linear earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar imagery. The feature extends for over 320m from north northeast to south southwest before curving southwest for a further 200m. A possible double banked extension to the west is also visible, although these may be later features. The later parish boundary follows the line of this section of the earthwork. The feature is cut by later trackways of probable post medieval or early twentieth century date (MDO43816). The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

LINEAR DYKES on Launceston Down in the extreme N.E. of the parish, lie between 200 ft. and 350 ft. above O.D. on the summit and on the E. slopes of the Chalk ridge between the Tarrant and the Crichel brooks. The dykes have been almost totally levelled by cultivation since 1947. An earlier dyke which follows the parish boundary with Tarrant Hinton. The earlier dyke consists of a ditch with traces of a bank on the S. side, measuring about 35 ft across overall; it extends across the ridge-top, from 95031115 in the N.E. at least as far as 94661094, a distance of nearly 350 yds.; possibly it continued further S.W. <2> The later Prehistoric linear dyke referred to above <2-3> is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in the 1940s but has subsequently been ploughed level. The site comprises a narrow ditch the middle section of which is flanked to both sides by linear banks each measuring circa 6m wide. The dyke extends in an arc over a total distance of 570m, between ST 9466 1095 and ST 9511 1127. The central ditch extends for 153m to the north-east of the flanking banks and a ditch section measuring 6m wide extends for 50m to their west. It is cut in places by a number of paths and trackways across the common. The dyke was only partially levelled by ploughing on aerial photographs taken in 1953, but completely levelled by 1988. The dyke marks the present parish boundary between Tarrant Launceston and Tarrant Hinton. It is crossed at ST 9496 1108 by a later linear dyke (ST 91 SE 249 / UID: 1481375) although both dykes were described by the RCHME as part of Tarrant Launceston 16 and form parts of the semi-circular network of linear dykes on Launceston Down noted in the Bokerley Dyke volume and recorded as ST 91 SE 206 (UID: 1306423). <4-6> A later prehistoric linear earthwork on the north western edge of Launceston Down, Tarrant Launceston, is visible as ditched and banked linear earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar imagery <7-8>. The feature extends for over 320m from north northeast to south southwest before curving southwest for a further 200m. The later parish boundary follows the line of this section of the earthwork. A possible double banked extension of the linear earthwork to the west is also visible on 1940s aerial photographs and lidar imagery, although these may be later features such as field boundaries or trackways. The main section of the earthwork is shown as an earthwork dyke on the OS 1st Edition c1880 map <9>, showing the earthwork curving round to the southwest, with a continuation of this southwest leg also heading north, but an extension to the west is not suggested by this source. The linear earthwork is cut by later trackways of probable post medieval or early twentieth century date (MDO43816), possibly associated with a post medieval quarry to the north (outside the project are and not mapped). The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project. The features are still faintly visible on current lidar imagery but appear significantly ploughed out.

Record last edited

Feb 22 2023 7:15PM