MMO1607 - Medieval or post-medieval field system northwest of Green Hills (Monument)

Evidence of substantial field boundary or enclosure earthworks of uncertain, but possibly early medieval date, can be seen on aerial photographs 200 metres to the west of Troytes Farm, Tivington, Selworthy parish, at circa SS 930 451. The possible enclosure or field boundaries are visible to the north and south of an extant field boundary, as a soilmark and extant earthworks. The soilmark, indicating a former earthwork levelled by ploughing, is up to 15 metres in width, the earthwork approximately 5 metres wide. The field or enclosure may have been closed at its western end, enclosing an area of at least one hectare. The alignment of the earthwork is similar to that of the extant surrounding field system although it seems to belong to an earlier phase of landscape organisation, possibly placing its creation in the early part of the medieval period. This may be supported by evidence of a possibly medieval field boundary overlying part of this enclosure soilmark (see MMO1608). The southern half of the possibly enclosed area also appears to have been quarried, probably during the post-medieval period, at a similar time to several other quarries in the vicinity, marked on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. [1-4] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [5] The Tithe Map for Selworthy depicts several field boundaries in this area that appear to reflect many of the transcribed earthworks. A large number of field boundaries in the immediate area are also shown that have since been removed. The fields were in the ownership of Troytes Farm. [6] Some of the field boundaries shown on [6] were identified as a linear anomaly and an area of probable extraction backfilled by possibly ferrous material during magnetometry survey in 2021. Ridge and furrow running east to west was also noted in the southwest part of the field system, but had since been been partly flattened or fragmented. [7]