MSO7920 - Porlock Common Stone Row (Monument)

SS 846 461. Porlock stone row was not found by the RCHME during field investigation in 1990, except for a single, prone slab at SS 8464 4601. This stone is 0.8 metres long, 0.45 metres wide and 0.18 metres wide; the area is under thick heather which makes it difficult to assess its relevance. [1] The site was recorded in the RCHME Lithics project on Exmoor. [2-3] Three stones were found close to the course of the Porlock Railway on the northern edge of Porlock Common. The westernmost stone lies at SS 84349 46302. It is recumbent and measures 1 metre by 0.45 metres, by 0.2 metres. Sixty metres to the east an edge set stone 0.6 metres by 0.3 metres by 0.05 metres lies at SS 84406 46018. Fifty metres to the east of this stone, at SS 84452 46018, lies a recumbent stone. It measures 1 metre by 0.4 metres, by 0.1 metres. All three lie in an area of heather which has been recently burnt. The stones were surveyed using GPS as part of the East Exmoor Project. [4, 8] These three stones make an alignment with that found during field investigation in 1990, and probably form part of the stone row recorded by R McDonnell in in 1973, which consisted of 11 recumbent stones. [1, 5] Some of the stones are barely visible. [6] A stone row present on the northwest of Porlock Common, close to the A39 and intercut by the Porlock to Simonsbath Railway. Whilst 11 stones were noticed in 1973, only 3 have been recorded in recent years. Each of the 3 stones are considerably large between 0.6 x 1.0m in their largest dimensions. The row now is sparse and Stones A and C are separated from one another by 100m east-west. Whilst all three stones are in a good condition themselves, none are fully upright and the general site is in a “bad” condition. The turf around Stone B and towards Stone A has been badly damaged by livestock and possibly off-road vehicles. [9] The site was surveyed as part of an academic research project by Dr Sandy Gerrard in 2018. Surveys were conducted using a prismatic compass and electronic distance device with the plan being generated in the field. [10] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [11]