MSO11283 - Late prehistoric or Romano-British field system at Wellshead Allotment (Monument)

Field banks and ridge and furrow seen on aerial photographs and plotted on Somerset SMR map. [1] May be associated with prehistoric earthworks to the west (MSO6735). N.B. The reference cited by Somerset HER refers to a site to the northeast suggested to date to the medieval period. [2,3] The area is one of improved pasture, and a cursory investigation suggests that the features have been flattened by agricultural improvement. [4] A field system of possible later prehistoric or Romano British date with evidence for associated settlement can be seen on aerial photographs as cropmarks centred on circa SS 8380 4154, on Wellshead Allotments. The visible evidence indicates a rectilinear field system covering an area of at least of 11 hectares, possibly coaxial in organisation, aligned roughly northeast to southwest. Two circular features at circa SS 8370 4149 and SS 8375 4148, both roughly 13 metres in diameter, may be the remains of hut circles, possibly indicating the presence of an unenclosed settlement in this area. A slightly larger circular feature some 50 metres to the north may be a third hut circle associated with this field system. [5-7] 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]