EDO6284 - Higher Meerhay Farm, Beaminster; desk-based assessment 2010

A review of the geology, topography and historical background of the site, and a site visit on 18th Novermber 2010. It was noted that in the eastern part of the development site there are four definite lynchets. Three have been created towards the upper part of the field and two of these cross the head of a small valley. The lowest lynchet(to be affected by the proposed development) is very short … and also crosses the valley. The (straight) lynchet has been constructed across a (curvilinear) natural scarpand is consequently not as well defined as the other lynchets. The feature is largest at its east end, where the natural scarp turns into the head of the valley. To the west where the lynchet is constructed onto the scarp it is shallower. At the front of the scarp is a disused badger sett. No lynchets have been identified immediately west of the promontory, but there are two flat terraces that represent building platforsm, perhaps of medieval or later date. The lower, smaller terrace was constructed across the natural scarp usinga cut-and-fill technique with spoil from the xcavation dumped over the side of the scarp. Following a change of land use from arable to pasture in the late medieval or early post-medieval period the lynchets went out of use. New field boundaries constructed of earth, one with a flanking ditch were constructed.