MMO503 - Medieval and post-medieval Dunster to Barnstaple road (Monument)

Part of the sunken trackway of the old route from Dunster to Barnstaple, averaging 3 metres wide, runs from SS 7350 3622 near Kinsford Gate southwestwards to SS 7207 3540 on Yard Down. It is mentioned by Leland and shown on the 1 inch Ordnance Survey map of 1809. [1,2] Part of the course of this track was noted on aerial photographs probably joining the existing road at the junction east of the Poltimore Arms. [3-5] Part of this route is visible on aerial photographs [6] running from about SS 7363 3633 southwestwards to SS 7280 3581. On the ground this section is still evident as a hollow waycutting through enclosed pasture fields. The less well preserved northern end is marked by a shallow linear hollow and part terraceway whilst the southern end is extremely well defined as a deep linear gulley, 8 metres across the top narrowing to about 3 metres and 1.7 metres deep. It is clearly overlaid by the 19th Century enclosure walls and the southern section has occasional stone clearance heaps overlaying its sides (see MDE10502). From SS 7280 3581 the route has been ploughed out but a short section can be seen at SS 7248 3566 to the south side of the hedge behind the Poltimore Arms. From here its course is overlaid by a hedgeline till it joins the modern road at SS 7207 3540. N.B. The route suggested above has been added to the GIS data recorded by the NMP [11] as line data. [6-8] The hollow way described above is visible on aerial photographs running southwest to northeast from Western Common and Five Barrows Cross for approximately 1 kilometre as far as Sherracombe Cross and the Poltimore Arms. In addition, a second hollow way is visible south of this, running parallel to the medieval road from approximately SS 7330 3608 before fading from view at SS 7299 3576. A third hollow way running north to south from SS 7327 3611 to SS 7329 3586 crosses both at the northeastern ends. These additional hollow ways are not depicted on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map [9], unlike the main road, and their precise relationship to the road is not clear. [9-11] The route represented by the hollow ways is not marked on the Tithe Map for North Molton; nor is the roadway from North Twitchen that passes across Five Barrows Cross and onwards past Fyldon Common. [12] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [13]