MSO7102 - Bronze Age field system on Lanacombe (Monument)

A prehistoric field system centred at SS 7735 4225, and first recorded as cairns and slopes during an archaeological survey of Lanacombe by Alan Preece in 1993/1994. [1] The remains occupy a slight, gentle spur on the south facing slopes of Lanacombe, and consist of at least three isolated clearance cairns, and several lengths of linear clearance or segmented stony banks (see 1:1000 survey). Sufficient of the linear features survive to suggest small fields or enclosures, and in places may represent lynchets with individual clearance cairns built upon them. Several well defined natural scarps are visible in the area, and form natural "lynchets", which may have been incorporated into the system. No settlement remains were identified, but the surviving features appear to continue north and northeastwards under deeper peat. Surveyed at 1:2500 with other sites on Lanacombe; divorced survey at 1:1000 scale. [2,3] 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] As part of the Exmoor Mires Project, in 2013 Cornwall Council Historic Environment Service were contracted to undertake a non-intrusive walkover survey of the proposed mire restoration area on Lanacombe, which included this site. The visit was followed by a further survey undertaken by The Historic Environment Officer for the Exmoor Mires Project. SS 77303 42341. A low spread bank or linear mound approximately 32 metres long, 4 to 5 metres wide and up to 0.1 metres high, with occasional stones up to 0.15 metres visible in the vegetated surface. SS 77275 42335. A low scarp or lynchet approximately 11 metres long, 2 metres wide and up to 0.15 metres high aligned northeast to southwest along the contour. Occasional stones are visible within the feature and the alignment is continued to the east by clearance cairns MEM23188 and MEM23190. SS 77161 42318. A scarp or lynchet 15 metres long and 2 metres wide and up to 0.2 metres high, aligned eastnortheast to westsouthwest. There are several exposed stones up to 0.3 metres within the feature. SS 77158 42301. A low spread bank 22 metres long and up to 3 metres wide and 0.15 metres high aligned northnorthwest to southsoutheast. No exposed stone is visible. The features form part of a field system of possible Bronze Age date. [6,7]