MDE12855 - Alleged Bronze Age barrow on Furzehill Common (Non-antiquity)

A fairly large low circular mound in the centre of Furzehill Common, allegedly a Bronze Age barrow, was noted on aerial photographs taken in 1947. This appears to have been misidentification of a pool relating to peat extraction activities.

SS 7360 4455. A fairly large but low circular mound on the centre of Furzehill Common is possibly a barrow. It is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947 and 1997. [1-3] SS 7360 4455. The reference falls on the top of Furzehill Common at about 368 metres above Ordnance Datum. This is a plateau of reclaimed moorland now rough grassland but slowly reverting to heather. No trace of this alleged mound was identified. [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] Repeated efforts by the Exmoor Mires Historic Environment Officer and surveyors from Cornwall Archaeological Unit (including the use of GPS to locate the feature) have confirmed that there is no mound at the location of this monument. This was also suggested in [4]. It seems likely that it was the erroneous identification of a pool related to the peat extraction activities in this area (MMO2161) as seen in aerial photography. [6]