MDE1298 - Late prehistoric hut circle on Thorn Hill Ridge (Monument)

(SS 72804358) Hut Circle (NR) [1] Hut circles between Warcombe Water and Ruckham Combe. [2] SS 7280 4359. A circular ring of stones in perfect condition. It is uncertain whether this is a hut circle (there may be an entrance at the southeast) or a ring cairn; 10 paces diameter and 1 foot high. [3] SS 7279 4357. A circular bank 8.6 metres overall diameter and 0.4 metres high, slightly damaged or depressed in the southeast. It is situated near the top of Thorn Hill ridge, and would seem more likely to be a ring cairn than a hut circle. The bank is composed of small stone and soil with no retaining stones or outer ditch. Resurveyed at 1:2500. [4,5] SS 72802 43574. A hut circle measures 7 metres north to south by 6.8 metres between the centres of a turf covered stone wall 1.6 metres to 2.2 metres wide and 0.2 metres to 0.5 metres high. It appears to be levelled into the slope. There is no definite break for an entrance but a lowering of the wall in the north suggests its position. A hollow in the south appears to be the result of robbing with a lowering of the wall to its east side. Extant hut circles are not common on Exmoor however there are examples and several (SS 74 SW 26, 140) are evident on the slopes 200 metres to the northeast of this site. This was originally classified as a hut circle [1] and although [3] suggests it is more likely to be a ring cairn (and this cannot be excluded) on balance it would appear that the original classification of a hut circle was correct. Surveyed at 1:2500 by GPS. [6,7] The hut circle described above is clearly visible on aerial photographs as a circular bank. A slight break in the bank is apparent in the south, which may represent an entranceway; however, this is by no means certain. [8,9] The feature is depicted on 2021 MasterMap data at SS 7280 4357 and labelled as a hut circle. [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]