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MONUMENT NO. 909923

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An area of varied earthworks thought to represent a deserted settlement includes terraced and hollow ways, strip lynchets and a linear quarry. The earthworks are in at least two distinct groups of platforms and enclosures. The remains are thought to date to the Medieval and Post Medieval periods.

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The Devon SMR records "the earthworks of an apparently substantial DMV..." and "two hollow ways with earth banks.. forming a "T", and other rectilinear platforms and crofts can be seen". (1)

The earthwork remains of settlement, hollow and terraced ways, strip cultivation and quarrying are centred at SS 66804415 within a single permanent pasture field; they cover an area of 4.5ha. They appear to represent medieval or later activity.

The earthworks are dominated by a substantial terraced way which runs approximately north-west to south-east across the field. At its north-west end it turns due north as an embankment way for some 55m before being lost at the field boundary. Another hollow way, running south-south-west to north-north-east joins the principal terraced way in a "T" junction.

The settlement earthworks relate closely to this pattern of ways. They form at least two distinct groups of platforms and enclosures. The first, centred at SS 66814419, lies immediately north of the "T" junction of hollow ways. It consists of at least two platforms: a rectilinear, well defined platform lying adjacent to the way on its northern side. It measures 23m by 7m and is raised by some 0.5m when viewed from the north-east. 16m to its east is a sub-rectangular platform and embanked area measuring 15m by 10m.

The second group lies at the extreme eastern edge of the field at SS 66924411. It comprises a massive cut scarp, 2.8m high, into the natural hill slope defining a roughly rectangular, level area measuring at least 34m by 20m, adjacent to the terraced way on its southern side. A smoothing of the terraced way scarp at this point indicates former access up into the area. The remains of at least two possible buildings are visible here. The best survives as an "L" shaped bank defining a platform area measuring 13m by at least 5m. The second is more fragmentory; it lies adjacent to, and on the west side of a platform.

A third area of amorphous earthworks which may represent settlement lies immediately south-west of the "T" junction of ways, at SS 66784417. It is dedfined by hollow ways on its eastern and northern sides and by quarrying to the west. To the south is an area of strip cultivation (see below). Within the area defined and adjacent to the quarrying is a cut scarp into the natural hill slope which may represent platforming its form is less convincing than its position at the junction of the two ways.

Other features include a well defined, linear stone quarry 2.8m deep at the western edge of the field. The slight remains of a catchwater leat runs west-east across the field.

In the south-western quadrent of the field is an area of parallel banks some 19m apart which represent strip cultivation. They are poorly preserved and their relationship with the settlement features and ways is not clear.

At the extreme north-west corner of the field are two strip lynchets running north-west to south-east. They are well preserved and up to 1.2m high. They are truncated at their western end by the field boundary, but formerly contained westwards.

Traces of further strip cultivation survives in the surrounding fields to the west and east of the site as very slight, amorphous scarps. To the north at SS 668444 is another area of strip cultivation (see NMR No SS 64 SE37).

Surveyed at 1:1000 scale, 1st October, 1993. (2)

A rapid examination of air photography (3a) shows this settlement site, trackways, etc, as earthworks c.550m south of Holwell. This site may well be associated with the strip lynchet system SS 64 SE 37. (3)

The 1:1000 field plan cited by authority 2 has been incorporated into an air photo transcription of the area around Parracombe. It is likely, but not certain, that the deserted settlement is associated with the medieval strip fields which surround it (see NMR Monuments 909919, SS 64 SE 37 and 1505784, SS 64 SE 157). The development of the medieval settlement pattern at Parracombe appears to have been complex and it is possible that the deserted settlement once once one of many foci of the village.
(4-5)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) General reference

Devon SMR: SS 64 SE 128

( 2) Field Investigators Comments

Wilson-North WR 1-OCT-93, RCHME Field Investigation

( 3) General reference

Andrew Miller/07-DEC-1995/RCHME: AP Primary Recording Project

( 3a) Aerial photograph

NMR, SS 6644/1/5-6, SS 6644/2/7-8, SS 6644/3/9-10, SS 6644/6/201-204, SS 6644/8, 14

(4) General reference

Helen Winton/20-DEC-1999/RCHME: Parracombe, West Exmoor

(5) General reference

Riley H and Wilson-North R 2001 The Field Archaeology of Exmoor English Heritage, Swindon Page(s)116-119

RELATED MONUMENTS

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Monument Name/No

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MONUMENT NO. 909919
PARRACOMBE

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Medieval and/or Post medieval lynchets are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. The lynchets form part of an extensive system which extends, ...

MONUMENT NO. 1505784
PARRACOMBE

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A system of medieval strip fields extends around medieval settlement remains (NMR monument 909923, SS 64 SE 38) to the south of Parracombe village. T...

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