| Summary : A Medieval and/or Post Medieval coastal fish weir, visible as a structure, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1970. Located in the intertidal area of Culver Cliff Sand, below Culver Cliff west of Minehead, the structure is constructed of two linear walls of heaped stones. The two walls form a V-shaped structure with the apex facing seaward, creating a tidal pool formed by the walls to the rear, trapping fish on the outgoing tide. A narrow opening known as a sluice at the weir's apex funnels the fish into nets set across it as the pool empties. The structure was still visible in 1999. |
More information : One of three stone intertidal fish weirs that lie on Culver Cliff Sand at SS 9610 4802, SS 9617 4795 and SS 9624 4790. The largest, centred at SS 9610 4802 has arms 100m long, 0.8m wide and 0.5m high, surviving as 1-2 courses of beach cobbles. The south end is fragmentary. A sluice is visible but was not surveyable at the time of survey. To the east and inland are two further weirs. They are centred at SS 9617 4795 nad 9624 4790. The western weir has arms 50m long, 1.6m wide and 0.7m high. Some of the core structure is visible in the better preerved eastern arm; the southern end of the western arm is very fragmentary. Part of the sluice is visible as a channel 1.2x0.6m, with the seaward end blocked by tumble. The easternmost weir has arms 50m long, 5m wide and 0.5m high. The walls are low and spread. The sluice has been infilled with tumble; a recent breach lies to the southwest of it. The weirs were surveyed using GPS as part of the RCHME Exmoor project (1).
The largest fish weir is depicted on the 1st edition 25" map (2).
SS 9608 4803 A Medieval and/or Post Medieval coastal fish weir, visible as a structure, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1970. Located in the intertidal area of Culver Cliff Sand, below Culver Cliff west of Minehead, the structure is constructed of two linear walls of heaped stones about 4 to 4.5 metres wide, the western wall being 86 metres long and the eastern 98 metres long, although this is fragmentary. The two walls form a V-shaped structure with the apex facing north seaward, creating a tidal pool formed by the walls to the rear, trapping fish on the outgoing tide. A narrow opening about 3.8 metres long by 1.2 metres wide at the weir's apex, known as a sluice, funnels the fish into nets set across it as the pool empties. The structure was still visible in 1999. (3-4)
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