MDE20513 - Medieval field system on southeast side of Girt Down (Monument)

Group of low banks and soil marks defining redundant field boundaries and previous enclosures on the southeast side of Girt Down. The boundaries may have an association with MDE8997 .The visibilty of the earthworks is very good on the 1946 [1] aerial photograph and fair [2] on the 1978 aerial photograph. [3] A number of probable medieval field boundaries and lynchets are visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks in two fields to the north of Vellacott Lane. Centred at approximately SS 6050 4692 at least three, possibly five boundaries are visible. The westernmost boundary, at approximately SS 6039 4699, runs aprroximately north south for 90 metres. A second boundary, at SS 6041 4687 runs in roughly the same alignment, and measures 120 metres long. Situated at SS 6058 4692, two boundaries which appear to form a corner are visible, measuring 50 metres along the east-west alignment by 60 metres along the north to south alignment. Two well defined lynchets are visible on the edge of a steep drop to the north. The westernmost of these, located at SS 6055 4701, measures 170 metres long, and is overlain by an extant field boundary at SS 6049 4703. The second is situated at SS 6067 4694 and measures 150 metres long. Both lynchets follow the edge of the scarp and run in a northwest to southeast direction. Additional banks and earthworks can be seen on oblique aerial photographs taken in February 2008. None of the boundaries and lynchets are depicted on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map [6], suggesting that the extant field pattern was well established by the time of publication. It is likely that these earthworks represent the remains of medieval agricultural activity in this area. [7] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [8]