MSO7321 - Possible medieval square enclosure or prehistoric hillslope enclosure on Doverhay Down (Monument)

A square enclosure visible as a platform measures 22 metres across and is surrounded by a broad ditch. Its date and function remains uncertain; it is possibly a stock enclosure of medieval date, or a late prehistoric hillslope enclosure.

At SS 8858 4541 is a square, ditched, enclosure. It is situated towards the crest of a north facing spur, overlooking Hawke Coombe and Porlock Bay. Although its principal feature is a shallow ditch, there is also an incomplete outer bank, most pronounced on the lower side where there has been a partial levelling up of the interior of the feature. The purpose and date of the earthwork are uncertain; it is neither strong, nor defensively sited, and would seem most probably to be medieval. Surveyed at 1:2500. [1] (SS 88584541) Earthwork [2] Invisible under bracken. [3] Small square enclosure seen on aerial photographs. Also possible trackway to the south and small incomplete fields nearby. [4,5] This earthwork is clearly visible on air photographs [5], but it is unlikely to be a deserted farm site (Aston's article deals with deserted farmsteads on Exmoor). [6] A square enclosure on Doverhay Down. It lies on north facing slopes and consists of a square platform (22 m across) surrounded by a broad ditch 6 m wide and averaging 0.4 m deep, with a spread external counterscarp, visible on the north, west and east sides. The interior is featureless, and the entrance appears to be at the southern end of the east side where a slight causeway is visible. The date of this enclosure remains uncertain, its small internal area argue against its classification as a late prehistoric hillslope enclosure. However, although the earthworks are not very upstanding, they represent a significant effort. Equally, source 1 seems to have few grounds for giving it a medieval date. On balance it is best classified as uncertain. Surveyed at 1:2500 with GPS. [7] A substantial square enclosure as described above is clearly visible on aerial photographs, situated at SS 8859 4543. The central platform measures approximately 22 metres across, with the outer ditch measuring between 3 and 6 metres wide. The exact function of this enclosure cannot be ascertained from aerial photographs alone, although it does appear too large to be a stock enclosure. It is not depicted on the 1st or 2nd edition Ordnance Survey maps, and as such is likely to have been abandoned prior to publication in 1889 or constructed after 1903. [8-11] The feature is depicted and labelled "Earthwork" on the 2021 Ordnance Survey 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]