MMO313 - Two possible Bronze Age hut circles on Challacombe Common (Monument)

The smoothed earthwork remains of a probable Bronze Age hut circle or platform are visible on aerial photographs. A second amorphous level area lies nearby and may be a second hut circle. There are also some low lynchets in the vicinity.

Circular feature showing as a cropmark in an improved field northwest of Withecombe Farm, visible on a 1946 aerial photograph. It has been identified as a barrow by S Timms and entered at SS 682 425. [1,2] At SS 6823 4258, within improved pasture, are the smoothed earthwork remains of a hut circle or platform. It is subcircular, measuring 13.4 metres north to south by 11.8 metres west to east. It is terraced into the hillside on its upper side by 0.7 metres, and is correspondingly built out on its lower side by 0.4 metres. The scarp defining its north and northwestern arc is topped by a slight bank 0.3 metres high. Its downslope side is defined by a scarp only. At its southeast the defining scarps fade into the natural hillside indicating the position of an entrance. Some 44 metres away to the west at SS 6819 4259 are the remains of a second feature, which is too disturbed to allow confident interpretation. It consists of an amorphous level area measuring approximately 9 metres north to south by 13 metres west to east. It is terraced into the hillside by 0.7 metres. A vague scarp 0.3 metres high defines its lower edge. To its west and east ends the defining scarps fade into the natural slopes, but at the latter end they turn south before doing so. A possible hut circle or platform. To the south of the two features described are a number of lynchet scarps. They are smoothed and amorphous and may be partly natural/geological in origin. Hut circle survived at 1:2500 scale, 13 October 1993,. Second ? hut circle, surveyed grid reference only. [3] The hut circles or platforms as described above are visible on aerial photographs as smoothed or ploughed earthworks within the 19th Century enclosures on Challacombe Common. The lynchet scarps however are not visible. The features are not depicted on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map, suggesting they were already damaged by agricultural activity prior to the publication of the map in 1889. [4-6] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7]