MSO11036 - Coles Cross Farm, Exmoor (Monument)

Remains of two or three buildings suggesting a deserted farm site, northwest of Great Plantation. [1] Not mentioned by Aston. [3] Coles Cross Farm is depicted on the six inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1891 [4]. It is shown as a single rectangular building with two adjacent closes and a detached barn. It has the descriptor "Coles Cross" applied to it. The farm was approached by a double hedged lane from the west. The site lies within an improved pasture field. It is marked by an amorphous rectangular platform measuring 20.5 metres by 21.5 metres, cut into the hillside on its southern and western sides. There are no building remains visible. On the north side is a double hedged lane now in use as a farm track. A new building called "Coles Cross" has been recently built by the landowner at SS 7872 3360 . [5] The boundaries of Coles Cross Farm are clearly visible on aerial photographs taken in 1964; however, on later images dating from 1996, the boundaries have been removed and the platform described above is obscured by vegetation. The farm is shown as inhabited on both the 1st and 2nd edition Ordnance Survey maps of 1891 and 1904 respectively, suggesting that it was abandoned sometime in the early 20th Century. [4,6-9] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. N.B. This record includes the statement "The farm is believed to have originated in the medieval period with later additions." This may be a misreading of [2], and has no Source data associated with it. [10] The farmstead is not shown on the 1818 Inclosure Map of Exmoor. [11]