Earthwork enclosure on Winsford Hill, 200m south east of Wambarrows

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 Exmoor monuments. However, detailed survey work by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England has confirmed a comparable richness of archaeological remains with evidence of human exploitation and occupation from the Mesolithic period to the present day. Much of the Exmoor landscape is formed by large areas of unenclosed moorland, particularly across the central ridge and parts of the southern escarpment. During the medieval and later periods the Royal Forest and surrounding commons dominated the economy of the Exmoor landscape. It is known from contemporary documentary sources that the commons were used for pasturing livestock and the cultivation of crops and this is reflected in the remains of many hectares of field systems (comprising low field banks and areas of slight ridge and furrow) which are present on most of the commons. A system of embanked earthwork enclosures associated with these field systems occur from the 13th century and were thought to have been used mainly for growing crops. They range in size from between 1.4ha to less than 0.2ha with most examples enclosing around 0.4ha.

The earthwork enclosure on Winsford Hill, 200m south east of Wambarrows survives well in its original form and is a good example of a number of enclosures identified in this area of moorland. It will contain archaeological deposits and environmental evidence with the potential for providing important information about the rural economy and agricultural practices of the medieval, and later, Exmoor landscape. It is prominently located on the summit of Winsford Hill close to a well-used route through the open moorland.

Details

The monument includes an earthwork enclosure located in open moorland on Winsford Hill; it is situated on a broad area of level ground on the summit of the hill which overlooks the steep Winn valley to the north and the Barle valley to the south. The earthwork enclosure is believed to date from the late medieval to early post-medieval period. The enclosed area is defined by low earthen banks which are an average of 3.2m wide and between 0.5m and 0.8m high with a shallow outer ditch. It is rectilinear in plan with overall dimensions of 17.6m by 13.2m with no apparent entrance. The enclosure lies within, and is probably contemporary with, an extensive field system composed of low field banks which define areas of cultivation. A large expanse of ridge and furrow located in the area around the enclosure is thought to be of a later date, although it may conceal earlier ridge and furrow ploughing. A series of enclosures of varying sizes which are thought to be associated with the field system have been identified across Winsford Hill. These are known to have been used for tillage of the Exmoor moorland since the 13th century, however, the true purpose of this enclosure is unknown but its small size, in relation to other identified enclosures, suggests that it was unlikely to have been ploughed for arable cultivation. The round barrow cemetery located in two groups, to the north west and east, are the subject of a separate scheduling.

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:

35974

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Proceedings Somerset Archaaeology & Natural History Society in Proceedings Somerset Archaaeology and Natural History Society, Vol. 122, (1978), 44-45

Other
SS 83 SE 12, National Monuments Record,

End of official list entry

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