MSO7345 - Bagley Hillslope Enclosure (Monument)

A hillslope enclosure of probable later prehistoric date, located close to the deserted farmstead of Bagley. It survives as a slight subcircular earthwork, 62 metres in diameter, and has been denuded by ploughing.

(SS 8825 4256) Probable prehistoric ringwork visible on the aerial photograph [1] near the deserted medieval farmstead of Bagley (MSO7338). [2] SS 883426. Bagley deserted farm and hillslope enclosure scheduled. [3] A subcircular enclosure at SS 8825 4256, situated in a pasture field on a moderate north slope of 1 in 30. The work has been severely denuded by ploughing in the distant past and is now reduced to a 50 metre arc of bank on the south side and an 80 metre arc on the lower north side, where it is accompanied by an outer ditch. There is no evidence of any stone in the structure. The internal diameter of the work is approximately 62 metres. The southern bank is, on average, 10 metres wide and at maximum 0.8 metes high on the outer face and 0.6 metres high on the inner face. On the lower northern part the bank is generally 14 metres wide, 0.2 metres high on both faces, and the ditch 10 metres wide and at best 0.2 metres deep. There seems to have been no attempt to level the interior but a poorly defined semi-circular scoop at SS 8825 4256, towards the centre of the enclosure, may represent a house site. This scoop is cut into the slope to a depth of 0.6 metres, with an overall diameter of 19 metres and a level interior of 14 metres across. No entrance to the earthwork can be identified but it was probably on the west, facing the shallow Bagley Combe and stream, an area occupied by the former Bagley Farmstead (MSO7338) whose field boundaries intruded upon the west part of the enclosure but whose hedgebanks have since been demolished. In the western gap are two parallel and somewhat amorphous elongated mounds, 0.2 metres high, set in a northeast to southwest direction. Respectively 10 and 20 metres long they are as likely to be the residue of hedge clearance as part of the original structure. Assuming a simple entrance the earthwork is comparable to another three at Sweetworthy, 800 metres to the east (MSO7333 & MSO7356) and evidently forms part of an unusually close grouping of Iron Age and/or Romano-British homestead settlements. [4-6] The enclosure at Bagley has been considered in its archaeological landscape as part of the RCHME Exmoor project. Full details in the RCHME survey report. [7-9] The possible hillslope enclosure is clearly visible as a low earthwork on oblique specialist aerial photographs, less than thirty metres to the east of the deserted post-medieval settlement at Bagley. The enclosure earthworks have been transcribed as part of the Exmoor National Mapping Programme. Little evidence of the enclosure is visible on any vertical prints available to the survey. The enclosure is situated on the north facing slope of Bagley Combe, its central point at circa SS 8824 4257, straddling the 330 metre contour. The enclosure survives only as two lengths of very slight earthworks much denuded by ploughing. The longest, at almost 100 metres long and 11 metres wide, is centred on approximately SS 8825 4260. The shorter length is circa 50 metres long and 6 wide, centred on circa SS 8823 4253, just over 65 to the southeast. [10-12] A probable hillslope enclosure lying on a north facing spur, on improved pasture. There are no internal features. The enclosing single bank and dtch are much degraded by ploughing expect on the southwest side where the bank stands at 0.4 metres high. The remainder of the circuit bank is visible as a slight scarp. There are no indications of an entrance. [13] A hunting fence is sited in the centre of the enclosure. [16] Extending east from the deserted farmstead (MSO7338) into two adjoining fields of improved pasture, is a subcircular enclosure showing as a degraded earthwork. This enclosure would be morphologically acceptable as a hillslope enclosure. The enclosure and the medieval farmstead are physically linked Such associations are unusual and suggestive of continuously evolving settlement on the same focus. Deposits reflecting the full chronological span of settlement activity still survive. [17] Scheduling revised with new national number on 10/8/1994 (was Somerset 484). [19] The Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment of 2009 gave the site a survival score of 0. [21] The site was surveyed in June 2015 as part of the 2015 Exmoor Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment. It was given a survival score of 0. [22] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [23]