Porlock Allotment stone alignment and cairn, 450m west of Porlock stone circle

Reasons for Designation

Exmoor is the most easterly of the three main upland areas in the south western peninsula of England. In contrast to the other two areas, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor, there has been no history of antiquarian research and little excavation of its monuments. However, survey work has confirmed a comparable richness of archaeological remains with evidence of human exploitation and occupation from the Mesolithic period to the present day. The well-preserved and often visible relationships between settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways and ceremonial and funerary monuments give insight into successive changes in the pattern of land-use through time. Stone alignments or stone rows consist of upright stones set in a single line, or in two or more parallel lines, up to several hundred metres in length. They are often sited close to prehistoric burial monuments, such as small cairns and cists, and to ritual monuments, such as stone circles, and are therefore considered to have had an important ceremonial function. Stone alignments were being constructed and used from the Late Neolithic period to the Middle Bronze Age (c.2500-1000 BC) and provide rare evidence of ceremonial and ritual practices during these periods. The recorded examples on Exmoor form an important subgroup of the total population and are considered to be of national importance.

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. The Porlock Allotment stone alignment and cairn survive well and will retain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the use and development of the monument. The importance of the Porlock Allotment stone alignment is increased by its association with the Porlock stone circle to the east and by the proximity of the Porlock Allotment 2 stone setting which lies to the south west.

Details

The monument includes a stone alignment which comprises two standing stones and a partly buried stone, a large recumbent block, a cairn and the archaeologically sensitive area between and around these features. The site is located at the western end of the spur, 450m west of the Porlock stone circle. The two standing stones and the partly buried stone form an irregular alignment 8m long with the cairn which lies 18m to the south west. A large recumbent block lies 10m to the north of the centre of the alignment formed by the standing and buried stones and the cairn. The two standing stones are leaning but set firm in the ground and are 1.9m apart. The westernmost one measures 250mm high, 500mm wide and 120mm thick while the eastern one is 500mm high, 400mm wide and 100mm thick. A stock generated erosion hollow 100mm deep surrounds the easternmost stone. The buried stone is of indeterminated size while the large recumbent block is 2.5m long by 2m wide and earthfast. The cairn is 7m in diameter and 300mm at its highest point. A central hollow on the top may mark the site of a previous part excavation although no details are known.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

25225

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Quinnell, N V, Dunn, C J, Lithic Monuments within the Exmoor National Park: A New Survey, (1992), 61
Quinnell, N V, Dunn, C J, Lithic Monuments within the Exmoor National Park: A New Survey, (1992), 61

End of official list entry

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