MMO333 - 19th Century stone quarrying on Wallover Down (Monument)

A series of surface quarries together with associated spoil heaps and access tracks are depicted on historic mapping. The quarries may well have provided building stone for boundary walls and enclosures and may date to the 19th Century.

SS 6931 3903. The 6 inch 1905 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map depicts and labels "old quarries". They are depicted but not labelled on the 6 inch 1963 map. SS 6943 3911. Both the 1905 and 1963 maps depicts and labels earthwork features as "old quarries". [1,2] A complex of quarries is centred at SS 6930 3904 on Wallover Down. The group, covering an area of approximately 75 by 44 metres, consists of at least four surface quarries with associated access tracks and spoil dumps. Also associated with the group is a small rectangular hollow 5.7 by 3.2 metres amd 0.5 metres deep. On its south and north sides are spreads of material which may be spoil dumps. The feature may either be a small surface delve or quarry, or the remains of a small shelter. There are a number of other quarries visible on Wallover Down. [3] The quarries described above are clearly visible on aerial photographs, situated on Wallover Down between two areas of abandoned field systems. They vary in size from 5 to 35 metres across, and several are depicted but not annotated on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1889, suggesting they were abandoned prior to publication. There is no indication as to what material was extracted here, but given the prioximity of the abandoned field systems, the quarries are likely to have provided building stone for boundary walls and enclosures. [4-6] Eight quarries were surveyed during field investigation in 2017. The features were suggested to be part of a wider area of 19th Century stone extraction, and were located at SS 69334 38953, SS 69379 38931, SS 69288 39830, SS 69315 39018, SS 69316 39057, SS 69288 39054, SS 69400 39118 and SS 69429 39122. [7] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [8]