MSO7084 - Long Holcombe Standing Stone (Monument)

A standing stone was recorded by Richard McDonnell at SS 7745 3595. [1] At SS 77385 35935 on the crest of the southeast facing slopes of Long Holcombe is a standing stone. It lies within a patch of rushes at 430 metres above Ordnance Datum; and is 106 metres southeast of a cairn (MSO6801). It is an upright, lichen-covered slab leaning slightly northwards and it is 0.65 metres high, 0.6 metres long and 0.18 metres thick within an erosion hollow 3.5 metres in diameter. The stone is probably that recorded as MSO6957. Despite being some 350 metres from the national grid reference cited for MSO6957, the dimesions are proportionally similar (1.4 metres high, 1.4 metres wide and 0.15 metres thick). Surveyed at 1:2500 scale, December 1994. [1,2] During field survey in 2002 the erosion hollow was identified as being active. [3] A rectangular slab of sandstone standing upright leaning slightly north, measuring 0.7 by 0.6 by 0.16 metres. It is located on the crest of the southeast facing slopes of Long Holcombe, immersed in thick rushes. The stone has only a slight northwards lean. This is likely caused by rubbing, as suggested by the erosion hollow which was waterlogged at the time of recording. However, the stone is very stable within its socket. [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]