MSO8366 - Disputed deserted medieval settlement south of Upton Church (Monument)

An alleged deserted medieval settlement, south of the ruin of St James's Church at Upton Farm, has not been confirmed from aerial photographs or field evidence. It may be a misinterpretation of the post-medieval field gutter system (MMO958).

Upton is given as one of the known DMV sites of Somerset and shown on a distribution map at approx SS 980 295, where there is an obvious site, with ruined church, at Upton Farm. (But nothing seems to have been written about this, and the information was apparently given orally by M Aston. OS air photos of 1967 show no desertion markings round Upton Farm, but it and its various outbuildings, yards and crofts are quite extensive enough to overlie a small DMV.) [1] Earthworks south of the church at Upton suggest a formerly larger settlement. The tithe map does not help with this suggestion. (Although Aston does not specify which church at Upton, it would seem he is referring to the remains of St James (MSO8364). The village of Upton is shown at this location on the 1809 1 inch Ordnance Survey map [2], but on the 1975 1:10000 1975 map [3] the name seems to have been transferred to a collection of buildings on the road at SS 996289.) [4] A systematic survey of all available aerial photographs found no medieval settlement features. An extensive post-medieval water meadow (which is described in MMO958) is situated to the south of the location of the possible medieval settlement and these could be the earthworks which [4] mentions as being `south of the church'. [5,6] There is no field evidence of desertion around the medieval church of St James. It seems most probable that the gutter system (MMO958) has been misinterpreted as settlement earthworks. [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]