Source/Archive record SEM8132 - Exmoor’s Ancient Routeways: History, archaeology and historic landscape analysis

This study has looked at the history and archaeology of Exmoor’s ancient routeways. A GIS dataset has been developed which shows the routeways in relation to Exmoor’s historic landscape. The subsequent analysis of this has shown that the routeways may well have their origins in the post-Roman or early medieval periods as droveways for livestock moving across the landscape for summer grazing on Exmoor. In the later medieval and post medieval periods, travellers on horseback and packhorse carriers used the routes across the Royal Forest. An exceptional set of packhorse equipment from an Exmoor farm has been preserved at Torquay Museum.