MMO2789 - Medieval field boundaries southeast of South Whitefield Farm (Monument)

A pair of curvilinear field boundaries, of probable medieval date, are visible on aerial photographs as earthworks in fields southeast of South Whitefield Farm, Brayford. Centred at approximately SS 7083 3571, both banks run approximately north to south, with the western boundary curving in an S shape from east to west, and the eastern boundary curving to the west in a C shape. Both are approximately 4 to 5 metres wide, with the western boundary measuring 265 metres in length and the eastern boundary 230 metres long. The banks lie parallel to extant field boundaries to the east and west, and were probably constructed at the same time. The curved form of the boundaries is typical of medieval field systems, and it seems likely that the system around Whitefield has changed very little since the medieval period, with only a few boundaries being removed to create larger fields as required. Neither are depicted on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1890, although part of the western boundary may have been incorporated into a small field shown on the map to the north, suggesting that they were abandoned prior to publication. [1-3] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [4]