MSO7609 - Hill Road (Monument)
Summary
Please read the Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record caveat document.
Type and Period (1)
Protected Status
Full Description
A concrete road was constructed on North Hill by the army during World War Two. The road is in good condition and now forms the main route along North Hill to Selworthy Beacon. It runs from SS 9106 4767 to SS 9631 4668. At the head of Woodcombe (SS 9455 4743) substantial mounds of soil are visible on the southern side of the road; these are dumps of overburden bulldozed to one side as part of the construction process of the road. The road was presumably used by the military to gain access to the tank training area at the western end of North Hill (MSO7616). Recorded as part of RCHME fieldwork on the Exmoor National Park holding on North Hill. [1,2] SS 9564 4718 Two Second World War military roads, visible as structures, were mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1946. Located on Minehead's North Hill, the roads are associated with the extensive military training area and tank firing range that covered North Hill during the war. The main road, now named Hill Road, runs roughly northwest to southeast for about 1600 metres long (SS 9500 4760 to SS 9631 4761). It is between 5.5 and 7 metres wide and was constructed from concrete by the military to provide the main access, connecting via Moor Road, for tanks and other vehicles from their disembarkation point at Minehead railway station, through the town to the training site, marshalling area and Selworthy Beacon. On North Hill, a second unsealed road, about 4.5 to 7 metres wide, branches off the concrete road opposite Whitecross Plantation and runs parallel to it for about 1000 metres before rejoining it at the west end of Moor Wood. This road may have provided a means of controlling military traffic to and from the firing range and also provided access to a wartime army camp, near Camp Reservoir. The roads are still extant in 1993. [3-6] The road is labelled Hill Road on 2020 MasterMap data. [7] The road was also recorded by McDonnell. [3,8-9]
Sources/Archives (9)
- <1> SMO7329 Unpublished document: Wilson-North, R.. Field Investigators Comments. RCHME Field Investigation, 13 November 1997.
- <2> SMO5780 Report: Riley, H. and Wilson-North, R.. 1997. The field archaeology of North Hill: An archaeological survey of the Exmoor National Park holding.
- <3> SMO4068 Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. RAF 106G/UK/1655 3007-3017 (11 July 1946).
- <4> SMO4068 Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. RAF 106G/UK/1655 3109-3110 (11 July 1946).
- <5> SMO4068 Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. NMR/OS 93297 038-039 (16 August 1993).
- <6> SMO7542 Archive: Severn Estuary Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment: SS 94 NW. MD000133.
- <7>XY SEM8817 Map: Ordnance Survey. 2020. MasterMap data. 1:2,500. [Mapped features: #38322 ; #38323 ]
- <8> SMO4068 Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. HSL/YK/71-177 91/8681, 95/8742 (September 1971).
- <9>XY SEM7406 Unpublished document: McDonnell, R.. 1980. Gazetteer of Sites in the Exmoor National Park Identified through Aerial Photography. SS9147C, SS9247A, SS9347C, SS9447D. [Mapped feature: #46815 SS9147C]
External Links (1)
- http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1102269 (Original Monarch entry: 1102269)
Other Statuses/References
- Exmoor National Park HER Number (now deleted): MMO644
- Exmoor National Park HER Number (now deleted): MSO12461
- Local List Status (Unassessed)
- National Monuments Record reference: SS 94 NW96
- National Park: Exmoor National Park
- National Trust HER Record
- Pastscape HOBID (was Monarch UID): 1102269
- Somerset SMR PRN: 35662
Location
Grid reference | Centred SS 9370 4736 (5230m by 1361m) (Centred on) |
---|---|
Map sheet | SS94NW |
Civil Parish | MINEHEAD, WEST SOMERSET, SOMERSET |
Civil Parish | MINEHEAD WITHOUT, WEST SOMERSET, SOMERSET |
Civil Parish | SELWORTHY, WEST SOMERSET, SOMERSET |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (4)
- Parent of: World War Two buildings and quarry near Hill Road (Monument) (MSO8104)
- Parent of: World War Two military road at North Hill (Monument) (MSO12639)
- Parent of: World War Two tracks west of East Myne (Monument) (MSO7674)
- Part of: World War Two tank training range at Bossington and North Hill and Selworthy Beacon (Monument) (MMO627)
Related Events/Activities (3)
Related Articles (1)
Record last edited
Jan 25 2021 2:02PM
Feedback?
Your feedback is welcome. If you can provide any new information about this record, please contact us.