MSO11865 - Medieval or post-medieval routeways on Hopcott Common (Monument)

Low banks forming one complete small rectangular enclosure and three sides of a larger one on Hopcott Common. [1,2] The area in question lies on the edge of 19th Century enclosure [3] and 20th Century forestry. The earthwork remains of tracks or packhorse ways leading up onto the ridgetop are visible at the National Grid Reference given above; no enclosures could be discerned. [4] The area originally plotted on the GIS data for this record, centred at SS 9627 4434, is bisected by the historic parish boundary between Wootton Courtenay and Dunster Parishes, running southwest to northeast. This is shown on the 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map with a routeway running along the southeastern side of the boundary. It is possible these features may have given rise to the originally noted earthworks mentioned by [2]. [5] Aerial photographs taken in 1946-8 by the Royal Air Force depict a group of sinuous earthworks to the west of the site, which appear to run between a marked footpath to the west (shown on the 1st Edition map [5]) and the parish boundary. It is possible that these represent desire lines or trackways between the two routes. [6] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7]