MDE1024 - Undated subcircular enclosure on Caffyns Heanton Down (Monument)

A small subcircular enclosure, recorded as a cropmark, is visible as a slight depression 16 metres in diameter within a low spread bank. It may be of ancient origin, possibly reused as a golf bunker in the early 20th century.

SS 6862 4684. A subcircular cropmark, approximately 8.0 metres across can be seen. [1] Nothing to be seen on the ground. Probably a modern agricultural mark. [2] Possibly the site of a bunker of Lynton golf course which occupied Coffin's Heaton Down in 1908. [3] SS 6861 4686. The ill defined remains of a subcircular enclosure are situated about 320 metres Ordnance Datum in a pasture field on the summit of the western end of the flat topped ridge of Caffyns Heanton Down. It measures about 16 metres north to south by 14 metres within an earthen bank, now 0.3 metres maximum height and spread to about 4 metres where best preserved in the southwest. The interior appears to lie some 0.3 metres below the surrounding ground level. There is no definite entrance evident but it may have been through a break in the southeast.This area is shown on the 1904 Ordnance Survey map [4] as a corridor of open heathland between the southern end of Martinhoe Common and Caffyns Heanton Down. The enclosure and the golf course referred to [3] are visible on 1946 aerial photograph [5] but it is not clear if the golf course extended to cover the area of the enclosure and this could not be verified locally. The site is precisely on the summit of the down and as such is an outstanding situation with excellent all round visibility. It is quite possible that this feature may have been a small subcircular enclosure of some sort which may have been reused as a bunker. Surveyed at 1:2500. [6] Monument record reviewed as part of NRHE to HER pilot project. [7,8]