MSO7344 - Prickslade Farmstead (Monument)

The medieval origin of Prickslade farmstead is implied by the Lay Subsidy of 1327. The site survives only as a 19th Century standing barn with a nearby area of surface undulations. There is evidence of approaching hollow ways.

(SS 88604341) Prickslade (NAT) [1] SS 886 434. Deserted medieval farmstead of Prickslade, indicated in the 1327 Lay Subsidy by the entry of Stephan de Pyrkeslade. [2] Site lies at junction of north to south and east to west tracks, and north, south and west deep hollow ways. A 19th Century sheep shelter is the only standing building, but there are three terraced platforms on the hillside to the northeast, and indications of a rectangular enclosure, its south and west sides formed by the existing tracks within which platforms lie. Almost destroyed by ploughing. [3] One small building is shown on modern 1:2500 map (Brackslade on the 1 inch First Edition Ordnance Survey 1809). [4] The name Prickslade is now applied to a barn at SS 8860 4341 in the southwest corner of a field, in which, within 60 metres of the barn, there are a few surface undulations. These may represent the sites of former buildings but are so ploughed down as to be formless and the rectilinear enclosure mentioned by Burrow [3] is equally fugitive. A track in a field to the west could conceivably be a relic way to Stoke Pero though in its present form it appears fairly modern. The most obvious early details are two shallow hollow ways at the end of Stoke Ridge which merge at about SS 8846 4312, and are crossed by the Cloutsham Gate to Stoke Pero road; a single hollow way then extends northeast to reach Prickslade via the northwest side of a hedgerow. It is V-shaped, initially about 4 metres wide at the top and 1.5 metres deep, but quickly reaches 6 to 8 metres across at the top and 3 to 4 metres deep. Beyond Prickslade it is lost as a distinct feature within the deep and narrow Prickslade Combe. [5] A subrectangular hollow or platform visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs some 16 metres to the north of the barn at Prickslade, may be the remains of a building platform belonging to the former settlement of Prickslade. The earthwork is roughly 16 metres in length, north to south, and 10 wide, east to west. It is approached from the south by a possible curved track 20 metres long and 2 metres wide. Subtle indications of further earthworks are visible to the north on the available aerial photographs, but are not coherent enough to transcribe. [6,7] The site is labelled Prickslade on the Stoke Pero Tithe Map. The barn that is shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map and that is still extant seems not to appear on the Tithe Map. Instead, the main farmhouse appears to be shown as an L shaped building at c. SS 8856 4344, orientated north to south and with a small protrusion eastwards from the northeastern side. Across the spring at c. SS 8859 4345 and SS 8859 4346 are two associated small buildings. The GIS mapping has been adjusted to include these features. NB: The grid references have been taken from the Georectified Tithe Map, which is not entirely accurately georeferenced and therefore may have a small degree of error. [8-10] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [11]