Site Event/Activity record EEM14616 - 2014: Eval - Cloutsham Farm

An archaeological evaluation of the site of a proposed agricultural building at Cloutsham Farm, 22m long and 11m wide, was requested by Exmoor National Park archaeological staff prior to planning consent being given. The site was visited in October 2014 by National Trust archaeologist Martin Papworth and examined for earthwork remains; subsequently, two 0.7m square evaluation trenches were excavated. These revealed soil layers 0.2-0.25m deep above the natural bedrock. The top 0.1m containing modern material such as plastic and bailer twine caused by modern ground disturbance, the underlying soil a clean fine material 0.1-0.12m deep, perhaps an old plough soil. The thin band of soil at the junction with the underlying bedrock contained evidence of older occupation in the form of occasional fragments of charcoal and clinker and a fragment of probably 19th century jug. Nothing was found cutting into the stone rubble bedrock. On closer inspection it could be seen that the farm track west of the site had worn down to the same bedrock stone surface and the farmer Mr Greenward stated that the soil profile exposed in the pits was typical of that expected from the local farmland. No earthwork or documentary evidence was found to indicate that any site of archaeological significance would be affected by the proposed development.