An archaeological evaluation and subsequent programme of monitoring and recording was carried out by Oakford Archaeology between January and August 2024 on land at Stover Country Park, Teigngrace, Devon. The work comprised the machine-excavation of four evaluation trenches totalling 31.3m in length, with each trench 1.1m wide. These were positioned to target anomalies shown through an earthwork survey and to provide a spatial sample of the site. A subsequent programme of archaeological monitoring and recording was undertaken during works for the new visitor centre and the reinstatement of the Serpentine Lake. The works uncovered the remains of two linear features in Trench 1. Roughly parallel with each other it is unclear whether they are associated with the extensive sand and gravel extraction previously identified at nearby Ilford Park and pre-dating the establishment of Stover Park, or former boundary features within Blacksticks Plantation. No finds or other dating materials were recovered in these features. The remaining trenches were archaeologically sterile. The subsequent monitoring and recording during the construction of a new visitor centre measured 23.4m long, 14.5m wide and was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.82m. The removal of the overlying natural deposit sequence exposed no archaeological features, deposits or dating evidence. Finally, the monitoring and recording during the reinstatement of the Serpentine Lake measured approximately 160m in length, up to 19m wide and was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.7m. The work showed that the original lake was much shallower than anticipated and uncovered no dating evidence. The initial evaluation uncovered the remains of two linear features in Trench 1. Roughly parallel with each other it is unclear whether they are associated with the extensive sand and gravel extraction previously identified at nearby Ilford Park and pre-dating the establishment of Stover Park, or former boundary features within Blacksticks Plantation. No finds or other dating materials were recovered in these features. The remaining trenches were archaeologically sterile.
Wootton et al. (Wed,) studied this question.