Plympton Pathfields, Archaeology

The recent archaeological information directly related to the Pathfields, or 'Castlehays' as they were formerly know, has been mainly obtained from the archaeological investigations by the Time Team in April 1998, published by Terrain Archaeology, Dorchester, and an archaeological evaluation undertaken by Exeter Archaeology in February and March 2000.

Time Team survey

This survey was undertaken as part of the Channel 4 Televisions 'The Time Team' 3 day archaeological investigation of Plympton St. Maurice and the Pathfields as requested by the Plympton Pathfields Preservation Group.

Lynchets - Trenches dug by the Time Team revealed evidence of an early field system with strip lynchets and linear earthworks.   The orientation of these features follow the line of the existing 'Lime Tree Walk' path which runs in a NW-SE alignment.  Further plough terraces were noted as part of the field system which may have pre-dated Norman occupation of the land and may have been Saxon in origin, but certainly medieval. 

Boundary - Remnants of a flattened clay bank with evidence of slate drystone facing on the northern side was discovered running across and over the older field system features.  This suggested the construction of a later rectangular hedged boundary possibly in conjunction with a 'landscaped park' attached to the nearby manor house which may have been located to the east close to Plympton House (St. Peter's Convent).  Further 'park' features were noted with in this enclosure.

Carp lake - Boggy ground to the south revealed the presence of a basin depression with remnants of slightly raised embankment earthworks.  Measuring 40m by 20m and dammed by an 8m wide bank, this dip was clearly man-made and may have been an engineered 'carp lake' associated with the occupation of Plympton Castle or as part of the landscaped parkland adjacent to the manor house.   Still visible on the landscape, it is noteworthy that surrounding water and springs centre on this depression before continuing to meet the course of the Long Brook.   The Pathfields Group and Plymouth City's Conservation Officer have suggested the reinstatement of this 'wetland' area and it is understood that the housing developers are to re-form the original course of the Long Brook as an open landscape feature at the request if the Environment Agency.

Finds - Animal bones, clay pipe stem fragments, pottery, ironwork slag, roofing slate, iron nails, copper coins (unidentifiable), a lead musket ball and a very worn bronze Roman coin of 1st or 2nd century.  The majority of pottery fragments were post-mediaeval including glazed earthenware (North Devon, Verwood Dorset, northern England) Staffordshire-type slipware, tinglazed earthenware and fine industrial red and whiteware.  Some coarse sandy sherds may have been earlier in date.

Exeter Archaeology evaluation

This survey was commissioned by the developers in accordance with an archaeological condition attached to the granting of planning permission by Plymouth City Council.

The purpose of the survey was to identify and record any archaeological features, to assess the fields context associated with the development site and to identify the underlying geology.  Several evaluation trenches were dug by mechanical digger on the site, with many rapidly filling with water due to the high water content of the land. 

Historical land use - Historical evidence of the site linked the founding of the settlement of Plympton St. Maurice (Plympton Erle) to an earlier location of a Saxon Minster c.899-909 close to St. Mary's Bridge further downstream of the Long Brook.  The Augustinian priory founded in 1121at the same site led to the building of the church of St. Mary in 1311 within the priory precinct.  The priory was destroyed following the dissolution of the monasteries between 1536 and 1540 during the reign of King Henry VIII (some small sections remain visible beyond the wall south of the graveyard).  It is reputed that some of the 'robbed' masonry of the priory was used to 'face' dwellings along Fore Street, Plympton St. Maurice, while some was used in the construction of the Grade II listed Tudor Langdon Court.  Other pieces have found their way into various dwellings and locations around Plympton (e.g. stone archway displayed on the Ridgeway).

The settlement shifted further up the valley particularly during the 12th century when Plympton Erle was laid out on the southern sheltered side of the castle mound and bailey.  The fields on the northern side, known as Castlehays (fields belonging to a castle) formed the open land between the castle and the higher Ridge Road to the north.  Originally ploughed, this land was over the centuries used for grazing.  The lower 'wetter' fields remained as water meadows acting as a safety valve for the Long Brook when in flood. An orchard was located close to the southern end of Dark Street Lane on the Pathfields side.

Geology - Typical across the site, under a layer of topsoil, material dating from the 19th and 20th century overlays ploughsoil with a further base layer of natural clay and shillet.  The site is criss-crossed by drainage ditches with redeposited ploughsoil with evidence of 13th or 14th century pottery fragments. Some evidence of clay quarrying was also discovered.

Archaeology - A stone lined ditch or leat possibly 19th century though may be following an earlier water course was discovered which may have taken water off towards the the direction of Priory mill further down the valley (the leat was destroyed during building site clearance).  Other slate lined drains were uncovered indicating early attempts to keep the land free of heavy groundwater.   The earliest datable feature was a pottery sherd of 11th or 12th century. Pottery evidence suggested that the land was used for arable purposes until the end of the 14th century, when the land was then used as pasture.