MSO6963 - 19th Century boundary stones on lower slopes of Benjamy (Monument)

SS 73984348 Boundary stones. Two small upright stones (boundary stones) are situated at 395 metres Ordnance Datum in improved pastureland. They lie on the gentle northeast facing lower slopes of Benjamy Hill about 240 metres west-southwest of Hoaroak and some 65 metres almost due south of the ring cairn (MDE8973). Although small they are both firmly set earthfast slabs of fine grain sandstone 33.3 metres apart and aligned within one degree of true north. They are not aligned on the cairn but correspond with the boundary of an inclosure allotment [3] and may therefore be of early 19th Century date. [1,2] The Inclosure map of 1819 depicts a north to south boundary, to the west side of plots 278 to 280, awarded to John Lock. [3] Two slabs 33 metres apart, measuring 0.4 and 0.25 metres high. The stones are not prehistoric and correspond with the boundary of an early 19th Century enclosure. A further table of information on the stones is held in the archive. [4] SS 7397 4349. Two 19th Century boundary stones on Benjamy as described and planned at 1:100 by Sainsbury. Stone A, at SS 73977 43509 the northernmost one, is situated 47 metres due south of the ring cairn* (MDE8973). The stone is a chisel topped slab of irregular section, 0.40 metres high, 0.50 metres wide and 0.15 metres thick. It is in an erosion hollow 1 metre in diameter and 0.1 metres deep. Stone B, at SS 73976 43476, is 80 metres due south of the Ring Cairn. It is a pointed slab, 0.25 metres high, 0.50 metres wide and 0.10 metres thick. Surveyed at 1:2500. * This cairn also contains a similar stone; a round topped slab, 0.4 metres high, 0.35 metres wide and 0.1 metres thick, which is set near the centre of an eccentrically placed turf covered stoney mound, 2.5 metres diameter and 0.2 metres high. It is in line with the two stones A and B and is most probably contemporary with them marking the junction of the allotment boundary with the Devon/Somerset County Boundary. Surveyed at 1:2500. [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]