MSO11338 - Prehistoric cairn southwest of Little Hill Combe (Monument)

Barrow 1 metre high, 7.5 metres north to south and c10 metres east to west. Seems to be made of stone close to the surface. Flat topped with a slight depression in the top at western end. [1] There is no trace of any feature at SS 8477 4248 an area of gently sloping cleared rough grassland and heather. What Thackray [1] has most probably seen and is referring to is at SS 8482 4241 some 85 metres to the southeast where there is a turf and bracken covered mound of stones about 9.5 metres in diameter and no more than 0.6 metres maximum height. It appears to be intact and there is no evidence of a kerb. It is in a quite prominent false crest position overlooking the settlement and field system (MSO7348) about 300 metres to the southeast. It appears to lie too far outside the system and is too large to be a stone clearance heap, especially as there are very few clearance heaps in the system in any case, but it is quite probable that it could be a sepulchral cairn associated with it. Surveyed at 1:2500 (see Plan [2]). [3] A large cairn lies on Great Hill, overlooking Chetsford Water and close to the Exford to Porlock road, at SS 84759 42441. It comprises a circular, heather covered mound 8 metres in diameter and a maximum of 1 metres high on its northern side. A central depression 5 metres long and 1.5 metres wide is the result of robbing, possibly for stone for the nearby enclosure hedge bank. The cairn was surveyed using GPS as part of the RCHME's East Exmoor project. [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]