MEM22519 - Undated stony area on Deer Park (Non-antiquity)

A stony area of ground was visible during fielld investigation in 2012. This contains a number of stones which appear prehistoric, but are natural in origin. This feature is likely part of the same outcrop as MEM22524.

An area of stony clitter was noted during a non intrustive walkover survey of the proposed mire restoration area on Deer Park, undertaken by South West Archaeology as part of the Exmoor Mires Project. This is interpreted as being prehistoric in date, as it contains numerous individual stone groups and individual stones. The area is orientated eastnortheast to westsouthwest. [1] The Historic Environment Officer for the Exmoor Mires Project undertook a non intrustive walkover survey of the proposed mire restoration area on Deer Park, which included this site. Noted was a linear zone, trending roughly east to west containing frequent surface stone. It is likely that this is basically a geological feature; a slightly harder bed of the country rock which is closer to the surface than elsewhere. However, the ‘clitter’ which marks it on the surface is unusual on Exmoor and it appears to have been noted by prehistoric people who seem to have marked it with cairns at MSO6959, MSO6953 and MEM22520. It is also possible that additional features are present along elsewhere along the zone’s length which might be identifiable with more intense survey. It may even be the case that an original geological feature has been enhanced and adapted in prehistory, perhaps by the dumping of stone cleared from adjacent fields on Deer Park in a manner reminiscent of, but on a larger scale than, features identified by geophysical survey and excavation on Lanacombe. A number of the stones in this area are large and appear similar to standing stones and stone settings, this is unlikely to be the case. A very similar feature is located close by to the west (MEM22524), these are likely to be two visible elements of the same rock outcrop. [2]