Non-Technical Summary
This Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) has been prepared by South West Archaeology Ltd. for a private client (the Client). It has been drawn up in consultation with Devon County Council Historic Environment Team, and details the archaeological mitigation strategy and methodology to be employed for a staged programme of works, commencing with evaluation trenching at Land North-West of Holwell Farm, St. Ann’s Chapel, Devon.
The site lies to the south-west of the crossroads in the centre of St. Ann’s Chapel, in an area noted on the Devon HER as having a number of heritage assets. These include the Grade II Listed Pickwick Inn, which incorporates the remains of the 15th century St. Ann’s Chapel (MDV4872), a Neolithic long barrow (MDV36059), two late Neolithic to early Bronze Age bowl barrows (MDV36060 and MDV16575), and a probable double-ditched rectilinear enclosure (MDV50110).
The site has previously been subject to a heritage appraisal and impact assessment, a geophysical survey and evaluation trenching. The geophysical survey identified a number of anomalies that indicated possible archaeological features. These were interpreted as a possible curvilinear enclosure, a possible rectilinear enclosure, associated linear features and a small number of discrete anomalies. The 2014 evaluation identified archaeological features in all trenches. Finds recovered included thirteen pieces of prehistoric pottery dating to the Bronze Age. The conclusion of the evaluation was that the site has been subject to extensive ploughing, but potentially indicates the presence of an early settlement and funerary activity.