MMO1969 - Possible hillslope enclosure northeast of Hallslake (Monument)

A possible ditched enclosure can be seen as a cropmark on aerial photographs of 1976, on a northwest facing hill side approximately 300 metres to the northeast of Hallslake, Brendon parish, centred on circa SS 7480 4830. The cropmark is extremely diffuse, but has been interpreted as potentially forming over ditches up to 4 metres wide which define a sub-square enclosure roughly 25 metres to a side, enclosing an area of 0.06 hectares. This site may be the remains of a later prehistoric or Romano-British date of a type known locally as a hillslope enclosure. A roughly circular dark patch within the enclosure, 10 metres in diameter, may indicate the presence of an internal feature such as a round house. Although 1976 was a very productive year for archaeological cropmarks, given the diffuse nature of the visible cropmarks it must be stated that a non-archaeological cause is possible for this feature. The linear cropmarks are on a similar alignment to the line of cultivation, and perhaps are artefacts of an agricultural cause such as differential supply of fertiliser. [1-3] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [4]