MMO3606 - Medieval field boundaries southwest of Birchanger Farm (Monument)

A number of curvilinear field boundaries, resembling medieval strip fields, are visible as earthworks south west of Birchanger Farm, Monksilver. The banks are all located within an extant field, and run roughly southeast to northwest, dividing the extant field into seven smaller strip fields, each measuring up to 170 metres long by 55 metres wide. The banks themselves have probably been reduced by ploughing, and measure approximately 2.5 metres wide. The boundaries are not depicted on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1888, suggesting they were removed prior to this date, and they may represent the remains of an earlier, medieval phase of settlement at Birchanger. [1-3] One of the central field boundaries is depicted on the Tithe Map for Monksilver, running northwest to southeast at ST 0606 3712. [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]