MSO11971 - Deer Park, southwest of Simonsbath (Monument)

The annotation "Deer park" is printed on the Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division six inch map, to the south of Simonsbath. [1] Exmoor became part of the demesne of the Crown at the time of the Norman Conquest and was converted into a Royal Forest. Additions were made in the reigns of Henry II, Richard I and John. Early in John's reign the Forest included, in addition to the original demesne area, the bordering parishes in Devon and a number of parishes in Somerset. In 1204 John disafforested all land in Devon and in 1316 Edward II confirmed disafforestation of the eastern perlieus in Somerset. There is no evidence of any woodland in the 2000 acres, as defined by the post 1400 boundary. There were no enclosures or settlements in the Forest until a farm was enclosed during the Commonwealth and Simonsbath House was built. The Forest of Exmoor was finally disafforested by the enclosure award of 1819. [2-4] Deer Park is labelled on the 2022 MasterMap data. [5] Orwin states that a deer park was inclosed adjoining the South Molton Road, between Blue Gate and Prayway Head, and stocked with fallow deer. It proved impossible to confine the deer and they did much damage to cultivated land, especially at Warren and Horsen Farms, but also wider “so their destruction was resolved upon, and none have survived.” [6] The 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map shows these locations as below: SS 7651 3795: "Deer Park"; SS 7583 3767: "Blue Gate"; SS 7694 4080: "Prayway Head". [7] Blue Gate is named on the 1889 map. It was formerly part of the Royal Forest. John Knight established his deer park here in around 1822 and a gate across the road was to help keep the deer enclosed. [8]