MSO6886 - Possible prehistoric stone setting southwest of Black Barrow (Monument)

SS 8301 4417 Stones. Two small upright earthfast sandstone slabs situated at about 405 metres above sea level on a gentle southwest facing slope some 200 metres due west of Black Barrow (MSO7900). The site under heather cover has clear views over the Hoscombe valley to the southwest and is within sight of stone settings MSO7903, MSO6881, MSO6882. Though no evidence of other stones or hollows was evident this could well be the remnant of a stone setting as the two slabs are typical of those found in many settings. A table with further information on the stones is held in the archive. [1,2] Two upright slabs 4 metres apart found in 1989. They are 0.1 metres high and 0.25 metres high, with a northeast to southwest alignment. May be prehistoric. Situated 35 metres south of a field bank. [3] A stub of nil height 49 paces to the southwest of the alignment. [4] Scheduled on 27 March 1996. [5] Field visit in January 2005 confirmed the location of the two stones and also revealed a subcircular earthen mound 8 metres to north-north-east of the stones. The mound is 5.5 metres in diameter and 0.3 metres high, and may be associated with the stones. In addition a number of hollows in the area would seem to represent small ordnance craters resulting from WWII activity in the area. [6] The Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment of 2009 gave the stones a survival score of 0. The mound was not considered. [7] The stones were surveyed in April 2015 as part of the 2015 Exmoor Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment and were given a survival score of 0. The mound was not considered. [8] Two stones and a nearby mound, orientated roughly northeast to southwest, close the field boundary and Black Barrow on the northwest side of Porlock Allotment. Both stones are very low square slabs which can easily be hidden amongst the dense vegetation. Recent swaling has improved the visibility of the stones and kept the bracken down compared with the last survey. Both stones remain stable, but could be considered to be at future risk from off-road vehicles. The presence of which is suggested by an east-west vehicle track 6m to the north. [9-10] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [11]