MDE12856 - Medieval or post-medieval field system on Cheriton Ridge (Monument)

SS 745 440. Field system in the form of low banks on the west side of Cheriton Ridge is visible on aerial photographs. [1-4] An area of some 60 hectares centred about SS 745 440 on the southwestern slopes of Cheriton Ridge, is covered by a series of low earth and stone banks forming a contiguous linear rectangular field system. It is similar in form and probably contemporaneous with the early 19th Century enclosed fields to the north towards Cheriton. These appear to have been planned and laid out about the same time but they were not enclosed by walling. This system continues further north (see MDE11718), and is similar in form, and presumably contemporary with, those on the northeast side of the Cheriton Ridge (MDE117265) and the southwest slopes of Brendon Common (MDE11690) NB Cutting across this field system is a dry leat, which has been treated as a separate site (MDE11685). No Survey action. [5] A field system evident as a series of low earth and stone banks is visible on the western slopes of Cheriton Ridge, Brendon, above Hoaroak Water. It is as described by the authority above, but in places the banks have been eroded by water running down the slope, leaving ditches adajacent to the banks. To the north lies a field system similar in form which is known to date to the early 19th Century; however to the south a field system of medieval or post-medieval date is also visible, as well as an enclosure of possible Iron Age date (see MMO2197 and MDE20820) and this system could be associated with either of these. The regular form of the enclosures and the depiction of part of the banks on both the 1st edition [6] and modern [7] Ordnance Survey maps suggest a later, probably post-medieval date. [6-10] A regular, rectangular block of fields lies to the north of the deserted medieval settlement (2199) on the west side of Cheriton Ridge. It is divided into five or six smaller field, and a single bank extends the field system for a further 400 metres to the north. The field boundaries are substantial banks; the top or east boundary is made up of rather spread bank, 2 metres wide, 0.7 metres high, with an outer ditch, 2 metres wide and 0.9 metres deep and some of the internal boundaries also have ditches. [11] The features are also depicted on the 2021 MasterMap data. [12] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [13]