Thorpe, C. M. (2001). Bear's Downs Wind Farm, Cornwall. Archaeological Watching Brief. Cornwall Archaeological Unit.

Title
Title
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Title:		 Bear's Downs Wind Farm, Cornwall. Archaeological Watching Brief
Number of Pages
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Number of Pages:		 33
Biblio Note
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Biblio Note		 Please note that this is a bibliographic record only, as originally entered into the BIAB database. The ADS have no files for download, and unfortunately cannot advise further on where to access hard copy or digital versions.
Publication Type
Publication Type
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Publication Type:		 Report
Abstract
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Abstract:		 An archaeological watching brief took place on the construction of a wind farm. An earlier geophysical survey had identified several areas of potential archaeological interest. Prehistoric use of the area was illustrated by the presence of a series of Bronze Age barrows running along Bear's Down and Denzell Downs, plus large scatters of flint which had been picked up in fields to the southwest. Six boundaries were breached by the wind farm, three of them of probable medieval origin. The project area was within an area of former heathland, enclosed and improved in the 18th and 19th centuries classified as being 'Recently Enclosed Land'. Fields in this area were notably large and the majority of them were known to post-date the 1840s. A Second World War radar station dating to c.1940 was located at the eastern end of the proposed project area. No features of archaeological interest were observed within the areas that were stripped of topsoil. Non of the anomalies identified by the geophysical survey were recognised apart from several removed post-medieval double-ditched boundaries. This could have been due to the local geology affecting the results of the survey. It was noted that there were numerous bands of iron rich shillet and pockets of manganese. Breaches through each of the hedge boundaries were recorded. Examination of these confirmed the pattern being that of large upland medieval boundaries incorporated within post-medieval field systems as land holding intensified. This was evidenced by the older boundaries exhibiting greater complexity with more than two phases of construction. Features of the WWII radar station affected by the project were recorded. These included the concrete pedestal bases for a wooden receiving tower or gantry and an air raid shelter. Within Turbine base 14 a rectangular area of compacted shillet connected to the radar receiving tower by communication cable was recognised as being the footprint of a removed building, possibly the radar-receiving block. The lack of features and finds was consistent with a long history of relatively marginal use of the area as heathland or downland. [Au(abr)]
Author
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Author:		 Carl M Thorpe
Publisher
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Publisher:		 Cornwall Archaeological Unit
Year of Publication
Year of Publication
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Year of Publication:		 2001
Locations
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Locations:
Location - Auto Detected: Bears Down
Subjects / Periods
Subjects / Periods
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Subjects / Periods:
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods)
PREHISTORIC (Historic England Periods)
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods)
19th Centuries (Auto Detected Temporal)
Bronze Age (Auto Detected Temporal)
Note
Note
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Note:		 Date Of Issue From: 2001 Date Of Coverage From: 01 Date Of Coverage To: 01 Editorial Expansion: Site name: BEAR'S DOWNS WIND FARM
Study area:
Investigation type: Post-determination/Research
District: North Cornwall
Monument: FIRING RANGE. Modern (1901-present), PIPELINE. Modern (1901-present), WALL. Modern (1901-present), BOUNDARY DITCH. Undated, FEATURE. Undated, AIR RAID SHELTER. Modern (1901-present), GENERATOR HOUSE. Modern (1901-present), FIELD BOUNDARY. Medieval (1066-1
Ngr: SW89906780
Parish: St. Ervan
Postcode: TR8 4HQ
Source
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Source:
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BIAB (Archaeological Investigations Project (AIP))
Created Date
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Created Date:		 19 Jan 2009