<< Our Photo Pages >> Ipplepen Iron Age Settlement - Ancient Village or Settlement in England in Devon
Submitted by AngieLake on Monday, 16 September 2019 Page Views: 21355
Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Ipplepen Iron Age Settlement Alternative Name: Ipplepen Archaeological Project; Ipplepen Romano-British SettlementCountry: England
NOTE: This site is 4.096 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Devon Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Nearest Town: Newton Abbot Nearest Village: Ipplepen
Map Ref: SX848664
Latitude: 50.486053N Longitude: 3.625213W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
Internal Links:
External Links:
An Iron Age settlement unearthed in Devon has been described as one of the most important finds of its kind. It was prompted by the chance discovery of Roman coins in fields at Ipplepen, near Newton Abbot about five years ago. Archaeologists who have been excavations for several years say it is the first of its kind in the county.
Reports from August 2013: The excavation is being funded by the British Museum, Exeter University, the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and Devon County Council. Sam Moorhead from the British Museum said he believed the Ipplepen site was "one of the most significant Roman discoveries in the country for many decades."
The site was discovered by local metal detector enthusiasts Jim Wills and Dennis Hewings, who contacted archaeologist Danielle Wootton, the Devon finds liaison officer for the PAS.
Electric Atmosphere: Ms Wootton said local people had been involved in the project, with about 40 volunteers helping at the excavation site. "When we announced the find at a community meeting about three years ago, the hall was absolutely packed with local people and there was an electric atmosphere," she told BBC News. "The bit we've excavated at the moment is prehistoric - it's Iron Age - but we have picked up traces of some Romano-British field boundaries," she said. "It's probably going to take us a very long time for us to fully understand the nature of the settlement and how long it was occupied for.
Ms Wootton said the important discovery should be credited to [metal detectorists] Mr Wills and Mr Hewings who had painstakingly recorded "every scrap of metal" they found. "Jim and Dennis have been absolutely first class in recording what they've found and it's a result of them being responsible with their metal detecting that we've discovered this site." she said.
Mr Wills said the oldest coin he found dated back to 117 BC. "The very first Roman coin I found strangely enough - and this is out of more than 100 coins we found subsequently - is still the oldest of all the coins," he said. "I've been detecting for many years, but it's always thrilling to dig up something you recognise is really important."
[More at: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-23733741 ]
Angie: That excerpt was dated 17th August 2013, and the next day, Sunday 18th August was the Open Day, attended by hundreds of curious locals. It had been quite well advertised in the local news, and some (like myself [Angie Lake]) who had missed the August 2012 Open Day, made sure they checked out this one.
From the 2013 Ipplepen Archaeological Project blog, some interesting notes:
"Day 21 saw the majority of the excavation finished on site, with only a few areas needing further exploration. There were some exciting finds for the last day, including several large pieces of Bronze Age pottery and an unfinished Neolithic arrowhead."
"Day 20 Work continued in the Bronze/Iron Age pits with several volunteers under the supervision of Nick, ....... The final bulk in the eastern ditch that runs into the ring ditch is still being removed, and a large amount of Bronze Age pottery has been coming out of that all day."
"Day 12 One such feature was the Bronze/Iron Age pits the last of the slate lining was removed. .... The largest piece of the slate lining was strangely circular with a central hole. ... "
[Link: http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/ipplepenblog/ ]
See also Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/IpplepenArchaeologicalProject
On local BBC TV programme Spotlight:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b038mtj1/Spotlight_19_08_2013/
More at: www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_313364_en.html
"The site of the largest Roman village yet found in Devon. The previously unknown Romano-British settlement ..." etc... etc. (explaining the metal detectors' success).
"Trial excavations and a survey in 2011 confirmed features including a Roman road, square enclosure ditch and several Iron Age round houses. Fragments of pottery, including locally-produced and imported wares such as wine vessels from Spain, were recovered together with more Roman coins. Bronze Age pottery and flint flakes provided evidence of human activity on site since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have been working at the 23-acre site near Ipplepen for a month (in Summer 2013), having first excavated there a year ago."
Angie: My friend Lyn and I then looked at the exhibition in 'The Hub', a local community hall, and noticed how small a part of the total site this area of the dig had been. It will take them years and years at this rate to excavate the 23 acres, if indeed they plan to do it all!
The 2012 and 2013 dig area (in 'Field 13' on the official plans) was close to a hedge at the extreme west end of a large field that sloped upwards towards the west, with good views on most sides.
Archeology students acted as guides, taking groups of approx 20 people around the perimeter explaining the ditches and holes. A few stalls were also set up at the field with artefacts from the dig, and examples excavated elsewhere. A very interesting afternoon.
Note: Angie Lake visited the Ipplepen dig exhibition on Saturday, see lots of new photos on this page. The dig made the national news too: "New finds beef up case for redrawing map of Roman empire"
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.
These are just the first 25 photos of Ipplepen Iron Age Settlement. If you log in with a free user account you will be able to see our entire collection.
Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.
Click here to see more info for this site
Nearby sites
Click here to view sites on an interactive OS mapKey: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed
Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)
To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.
Turn off the page maps and other distractions
Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
1.9km NNW 340° Dornafield Tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (SX842682)
2.2km NNE 25° Ladywell (Abbotskerswell)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX858684)
3.3km WNW 286° Tornewton Cave Cave or Rock Shelter (SX816674)
3.4km WNW 287° Brokern Cavern Cave or Rock Shelter (SX81596748)
3.4km WNW 284° Three Holes Cave Cave or Rock Shelter (SX815673)
3.8km WNW 302° Denbury* Hillfort (SX816685)
4.6km ENE 57° Doda Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX887688)
4.6km N 356° Newton Abbot Fort Hillfort (SX846710)
5.0km NE 44° Milber Down Camp* Hillfort (SX884699)
5.1km NNE 19° Newton Abbot Museum* Museum (SX866712)
7.4km SW 215° The Brutus Stone* Marker Stone (SX8035760411)
7.5km SW 216° Totnes Museum* Museum (SX8030060419)
7.5km E 92° Stonehenge at Babbacombe Model Village* Modern Stone Circle etc (SX923660)
7.8km SW 217° Leech Wells* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX799603)
8.0km ESE 109° Torquay Museum* Museum (SX9232863616)
8.9km ESE 103° Kent's Cavern* Cave or Rock Shelter (SX93456418)
9.8km WNW 286° St Gudula's Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX754694)
10.1km SSE 152° Broadsands Chambered Tomb* Chambered Tomb (SX89315732)
10.7km NE 36° Whitewell Woods Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX913749)
12.3km W 278° Hembury Castle* Hillfort (SX7263868449)
12.3km NE 37° Lidwell* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX924761)
12.4km N 7° Pixie's Hole Cave or Rock Shelter (SX86547865)
12.4km N 6° Cow Cave Cave or Rock Shelter (SX86477866)
12.5km NNW 346° St Mary's Well (Bovey Tracey)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SX820786)
12.6km N 11° Castle Dyke (Chudleigh)* Hillfort (SX875787)
View more nearby sites and additional images