MSO10167 - 19th Century quarry southeast of Larkbarrow (Monument)

A quarry is marked on historic mapping and can still be seen as earthworks. It may have been used as a practice trench during World War Two, with several small pits surrounding the feature that may have been used to store munitions boxes.

A quarry comprising two pits, both about 3 metres deep, with an access ramp to the south. Overall the quarry is 18 metres east to west by 17 metres north to south, with a large spoil heap on the south side. The feature most probably dates from the 19th Century and may be related to the construction of the track or the boundary wall, alternatively, the quarried material may have been used in the construction of the Simonsbath to Porlock railway (MSO7906), a section of which lies 200 metres to the south. The quarry appears to have been reused as a practice trench during the areas use as a military training ground in the Second World War. Several small pits were recorded round the quarry which may have been used to store munitions boxes. [1] The quarry was recorded at 1:2500 scale using differential GPS as part of an archaeological survey of the Larkbarrow area. The survey was undertaken by the Exeter office of English Heritage at the request of the Exmoor National Park Authority. A client report was produced as part of the survey and is available from the NMRC, Swindon. [2] The site is shown as an old quarry on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. [3] Ovoid pit (20 metres by 8 metres by 1.2 metres) adjacent to the track, consisting of two adjacent pits at its nortwestern and southeastern ends, with the northernmost being deepest. Along the south-western side of the pit is a ramp with a width of c.1 metre. A spoil bank up to c. 1.2 metres high is present along the southern edge of the feature. These features are, perhaps quarries, serving as a source of stone for the nearby hedge bank, but they may also be military works dating to World War Two. [4,5] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [6]