Historic Environment Review
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Conservation Areas May 2 014 The newly extended conservation area boundary and Redway early 20th century terrace appraisal for Porlock was formally adopted by Exmoor housing now within Porlock National Park in November 2013 following public Conservation Area. consultation over the summer, which included two events in the village hall. The revised area takes in additional historic areas and buildings to the east and west of the village as well as the hamlet of Hawkcombe Historic E nvironment Review to the south, which is mainly 19th century in character. Porlock is the first of the 16 appraisals to be completed. Lynton, Lynmouth, Dunster and Wootton Courtenay conservation areas were surveyed in 2013, with Dulverton and the four historic farmsteads to be completed in early 2014. Public consultation for all conservation areas will follow later in the year. Coming up: TChe Hoistnorict Eanvicrontm eUnt Tsea: m is based in The Historic Environment Team are involved in a number of Exmoor National Park Authority’s offices: events occurring throughout 2014. For more information on Exmoor National Park Authority these events, to find details of further events run by a variety Exmoor House Dulverton TA22 9HL. of organisations and open days at Simonsbath Sawmill Main switchboard: 01398 323665. see: www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov/visiting/events Conservation Officer (Historic Environment) Shirley Blaylock Direct Line: 01398 322289 May 7 [email protected] History and Ecology of Restored Mires; a circular walk Conservation Advisor (Historic Environment) from the Pinkery Centre to the Chains led by the Exmoor Catherine Dove Mires project Direct Line: 01398 322273 June 27-28 [email protected] Dig Porlock; a community archaeology event Historic Environment Record enquiries can be made by August 17 emailing [email protected] Bogtastic; a drop-in family adventure day Further information about the projects in this review can be obtained from the Historic Environment team or from August 20 www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk A walk around Historic Porlock 10.30am - 12.30pm Contributors to the Historic Environment Review: August 23 Conservation Manager North Hill Big Adventure Day; family activities and events Rob Wilson-North with a World War II focus Direct Line: 01398 322280 September 11 [email protected] Simonsbath, a vanished mansion and its gardens; guided MIRES Historic Environment Officer walk 2.00 - 4.00pm Lee Bray Direct Line: 01398 324491 September 27 [email protected] Exmoor Archaeology Forum; Filleigh Village Hall Exmoor Moorland Landscape Partnership Scheme October 1 Moorland Heritage Officer Exploring Exmoor’s Mires; history, archaeology and Faye Balmond Direct Line: 01398 322164 ecology a guided walk 10.30am - 3.00pm [email protected] In order to minimise the environmental impact of Historic Buildings Officer this publication, it has Front cover: Nigel Pratt been printed locally by Detail from a new reconstruction of Mesolithic Toptown Printers Ltd. Direct Line: 01398 322247 using vegetable based inks ® Hawkcombe Head by Peter Lorimer [email protected] on FSC certified paper. 12 Historic Environment Review 2013 2013 was no exception in providing a wide The Radar Station at North Hill An Enviable Possession? North Hill above Minehead lies at the north-eastern corner Until the beginning of the 1800s much of the central part range of material for this publication; our Exciting work by the Exmoor Mires Project, of the National Park and is a topographically isolated area of of Exmoor was still owned by the Crown - as it had been for annual review of archaeological activities the Exmoor Moorland Landscape Partnership coastal heath overlooking the Bristol Channel. During the almost 1000 years - as one of its Royal Forests. In this way it undertaken across the National Park during Scheme and the Universities of Bristol, Second World War the area was taken over by the army for had remained bleak moorland for long centuries, once training, and in particular became a tank training range, described as ‘filthy’ and ‘barren’, but had been home in the the year. It was an eventful year weather wise; Leicester and Plymouth have increased our seeing a period of intense activity before the Normandy summer months to thousands of sheep and cattle, grazed the dramatic floods from late 2012 were knowledge of Exmoor’s archaeological landings in 1944. there for a headage payment made by farmers to the Royal treasury. followed by extended wintery weather and a landscape and provided opportunities for a One of the only upstanding buildings from the use of the area during World War Two is a radar station. It is owned by In 1818 the Forest was sold and passed into private hands. glorious summer providing challenging significant rise in the number of local people Exmoor National Park and is used as a volunteer store, but It became the possession of John Knight, who was from a conditions for some of our historic sites and actively involved in archaeological fieldwork also forms part of the annual North Hill Big Adventure Day wealthy Worcestershire family made wealthy by iron archaeological work, but also some when the wartime history of this area is explained and founding. John set about a process of ‘improving’ Exmoor and research, partnerships which we look military re-enacters bring wartime vehicles and equipment and turning moorland into productive farmland. Over a spectacular photographic opportunities. forward to seeing develop in 2014. and have a parade on the site. The radar station itself is a rare period of at least 50 years much of the former Forest was survival of its type and of national importance. It has recently drained and ploughed. Around 14 farms were created, been studied and recorded by archaeologists to try and fully farmsteads built, beech hedges planted and thousands of understand its purpose. The recording was undertaken by kilometres of drains were dug by hand. This was the last Dunster Pottery Kiln Conserved Views of Exmoor exhibition Andrew Passmore and Stella de-Villiers of AC Archaeology great Victorian land reclamation scheme in England – and As featured in last year’s review this unusual structure, a rare The Views of Exmoor exhibition was held at the Museum of who write: it transformed the heart of Exmoor. survival of an 18th century pottery kiln was conserved in May Barnstaple and North Devon from 14 September to 12 and June 2013 with grant aid from English Heritage. It’s October 2013, showing how archaeologists are piecing ‘The radar station at North Hill was a Second World War tucked away behind the Dunster National Park Centre in a together an amazing story of human resilience on Exmoor’s Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low (CD/CHL) establishment. corner of Dunster Park and well worth a visit with the bonus moorlands. The story begins around 8,000 years ago when It is built of reinforced concrete and was probably in use of a dramatic view back to the castle. Leaflets about the kiln hunter gather groups first walked across Exmoor’s uplands from 1942 until 1944. It formed one of a chain of buildings are available from the Centre. and continues with the emergence of farming and the around the coasts of Britain designed to detect shipping building of Exmoor’s unique miniature standing stones and low-flying aircraft. They were short range radar around 4000 years ago. Other periods in the moorland’s extending to only 25 miles (40km). The station on North Hill history also featured, such as the enormous efforts made by would have worked in conjunction with CD/CHL radars in Victorian improvers to plough up and ‘improve’ tracts of the Swansea and Oxwich in South Wales. These would have moors. overlapped providing full coverage of the entrance to the Bristol Channel. Associated Coastal Defence gun batteries The exhibition not only included recently excavated hunter were situated along the Bristol Channel, at Ilfracombe, gatherer tools but a replica ‘hunter gatherer toolkit’ to Minehead, Brean Down, as well as Flat Holm and Steep encourage visitors to interact with the exhibition. A replica Holm within the channel itself. Information gathered by the At the heart of the former Royal Forest is the tiny village of Bronze Age urn made by Joss Hibbs from Powdermills radar stations would have been used to help these coastal Simonsbath. Only a single dwelling in 1818, John Knight Pottery on Dartmoor was displayed along with the sherds of batteries engage enemy shipping and aircraft.’ saw Simonsbath as both his home and the hub of his the original pot which was found by members of the North estate. He set about building a great neo-Gothic mansion Devon Archaeological Society near Parracombe. Conservation of the building has been carried out by local contractors through the Exmoor Moorland Landscape there and planned a setting fit for such a fine house. He Elements of Views of Exmoor will be moving to other Partnership with financial assistance from the Heritage was an old man when he came to Exmoor and his taste locations on and around Exmoor, visit Lottery Fund. was old fashioned: he seems to have planned a www.heartofexmoor.org.uk to find out more. ‘picturesque’ landscape to surround his great house, but his The 2014 North Hill Big Adventure Day is on 23rd August. aspirations were never to be fulfilled, and the mansion Dunster pottery kiln after conservation work by contractor Cyril Harriss The radar station will be open to visitors and you are stood, incomplete, at his death, destined never to be and Jonathan Rhind architects. welcome to come and see the radar station for yourself. completed. Porlock Stone Circle Nearly 200 years after the Knight family began their Exmoor The questions associated with the consolidation of a loose Experiment, Exmoor National Park Authority has now stone led to a sample excavation of Porlock Stone circle and acquired one of the oldest buildings on the Knight estate.