MSO6890 - Bronze Age standing stone near Long Holcombe Cross (Monument)

SS 7694 3542 A standing stone is situated at about 400 metres above Ordnance Datum amidst a group of rushes on a moderate northeast facing hillslope of rough grassland. It is a rectangular post of slatey sandstone 0.50 metres high, 0.15 metres square and it leans to the south so the actual length is 0.65 metres. There is an erosion hollow about 1.2 metres radius and 0.2 metres deep around the uphill sotuhwest side. There are extensive views around the southeast, though that to the southwest is obscured by the ridge summit. There is little other stone evident in the area for some distance and this is therefore most probably a prehistoric standing stone. It is unlikely to be the stone refered to by Eardley-Wilmot (MSO6957) located c. 600 metres to the northeast. [1] A prehistoric standing stone is centred at SS 76937 35428. It is a post like stone 0.52 metres high and 0.12 metres by 0.14 metres and leans slightly to the southsouthwest. It stands within an erosion hollow 1.4 metres in diameter. As suggested by Iain Sainsbury in 1990 (in the paragraph above), it is definitely not the stone refered to by Eardley-Wilmot (MSO6957; and see MSO7084). About 6.5 metres uphill to the southsoutheast is a circular erosion hollow 1.5 metres in diameter and 0.3 metres deep. It clearly marks the site of a second stone. Close by to the northeast are two rectangular stony spreads (MSO7085 and MSO7086), which are probably of post-medieval or modern date. Surveyed at 1:100 and 1:2500 scale, December 1994.[2,3] The site was identified as being stable during a survey of its condition in 2002. [4] A rectangular post of sandstone standing upright, slightly leaning towards the southwest measuring 0.65 x 0.17 x 0.15m. It is located on the northeast slope of the hill on the south side of the valley in a thick area of rushes. The stone has a significant lean and has been heavily rubbed, as evidenced by the erosion hollow and the stones smooth surface. This is slightly smaller than the hollow previously recorded, which suggests some recovery to the ground. However, while the fabric of the stone is stable, it is slightly loose within its setting. [5] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7]