Reasons for Designation
Wooden trackways were constructed in the prehistoric period between the
Neolithic and the later pre-Roman Iron Age, primarily as communication routes
across wet areas of ground and as a means of access to the natural resources
of wetlands. Most excavated examples take the form of simple structures of
brushwood or hurdlework, although some are of more complex pile, plank and log
construction. Wooden trackways normally had a very short active lifespan,
leading to the clustering of tracks where a communications route was in
existence over a long period; some isolated examples are, however, recorded.
Because they were sited in wetland areas, trackways generally became buried by
the accumulation of peat soon after their construction, and they are now
generally recorded as a result of peat extraction, followed by survey and
excavation elsewhere along their length.
Approximately 75 examples of either trackways or groups of trackways have been
recorded in England. Because of the way in which they are discovered, this is
likely to be only a small proportion of those present in the prehistoric
period, and some of the recorded examples will have been destroyed or badly
damaged by desiccation of the organic components. Over half the recorded
examples are from the Somerset Moors.
Trackways yield information concerning woodworking, tools, woodland
management, and trading or communication routes. They are usually associated
with deposits containing well-preserved environmental data such as pollen,
beetle, and macro-plant remains, and they may be significant sources of
dendrochronological data. As a rare and diverse form of structure used
throughout the prehistoric period, all identified prehistoric wooden trackways
with surviving archaeological remains, would normally be considered to be of
national importance.
The wooden trackways 670m SSE of Parchey Bridge are a concentration of well
preserved organic structures, as yet undated, located within the wetlands of
the Somerset Levels and Moors, an area of high archaeological value which has
seen rapid landscape change over the past 200 years as a result of drainage
and intensive peat cutting.
Details
The monument includes the remains of sections of a number of prehistoric
timber trackways, located at the base of a spur of higher land, Sutton Hams,
near Chedzoy.
The tracks were first noted during improvement work to the King's Sedgemoor
Back Ditch in the spring of 1979. This ditch runs parallel and east of King's
Sedgemoor Drain. There is 40m of land between the two, which rises slightly
centrally.
There were seven timber structures noted, (Sutton 1-7). All were visible in
both banks of the ditch, except for two which were only noted in the west
bank. The tracks all radiated approximately westward from the spur of Sutton
Hams.
The tracks were seen obliquely in section. Enough could be seen at the time
of the exposure to determine their basic structure. The trackways in the
eastern bank were higher than those in the west, following the slope of the
land towards the high ground of Sutton Hams.
Sutton 1 consisted of hazel brushwood over spaced transverses. One heavier
longitudinal was noted beneath the transverses. Sutton 2 lay below this by
0.12m-0.16m of peat, consisting of hazel brushwood longitudinals secured by
three pegs across the width.
Sutton 3 was predominantly of hazel and alder roundwood and brushwood
longitudinals, with a split willow log, flat side up, secured by pegs. Sutton
4 was also of brushwood and roundwood, pegged, over more brushwood. It also
included a squared oak timber, 0.13m x 0.13m. Sutton 5 was mainly of hazel
roundwood, showing axe marks, with brushwood below.
Sutton 6 was seen obliquely, as a mattress of brushwood with roundwood. The
main structure was of roundwood and logs, with some transverse timbers. Sutton
6a was thought to join it. Sutton 7 comprised roundwood and brushwood
longitudinals which were secured by pegs, and sloped up with the rising ground
towards the Sutton Hams spur.
A number of flint and bone artefacts were found in the associated spoil.
Excluded from the scheduling are all modern fences and posts, though the
ground beneath is included.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
