More information : Traces of narrow rig ploughing are visible as levelled earthworks on aerial photographs within the large enclosure on Great Vintcombe, surrounding Acklands Farm, Exmoor. Centred at approximately SS 7282 3971 the edges of the ploughed area follow the boundaries of the extant polygonal enclosure almost exactly, covering an area of some 19 hectares. Nearly all the ploughing appears to run north-south; however, in the western half of the enclosure, traces of the north-south ploughing appear to overlie traces running approximately north-east to south-west, indicating that there may have been two separate phases.
According to Burton (3), Acklands was constructed in the late 19th or early 20th century (after 1861). It is not depicted on the first edition Ordnance Survey map, suggesting it was built and the enclosures laid out after 1890. It is probable that the ploughing dates to this period (1-3). |