MSO10356 - Post-medieval quarry at Long Combe (Monument)

A deep quarried depression was identified from aerial photographs in 1982. The quarry is cut into the hill slope with a ragged face on the south side and irregular mounds at the bottom of the slope on the north side. The depression is about 6 metres deep. [1] A pit is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards, on the north facing slopes of Long Combe, approximately 600 metres to the west of Larkbarrow Cottage, at circa SS 8115 4278. The pit is roughly oval in shape and measures just over 20 metres in length, west to east. It is one of six quarries visible on aerial photographs in this area on the slopes above Long Combe. However, it is one of only three also marked on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey maps of 1889 and the only one in this vicinity annotated as a quarry. This would indicate that the quarry is, at the latest, of late 19th Century date. It is also cut by the course of a contour leat of probable mid 19th Century date, and therefore it can be confidently said to pre date circa 1850. [2-4] 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]