Lanacombe 1

The northern part of the stone row. View from south (Scales 1m).

A double stone row measuring 42m long, including at least 13 small and medium-sized stones situated on a gentle east facing slope. The row stands beside a small cairn and another one may denote the lower end. The row is orientated north west to south east and stands in the vicinity of several stone settings.

Location

England	Somerset	Exmoor	SS 78095 42793
Lat 51.17129244   Long –3.74516052

Map showing location of Lanacombe 1 stone row 

Simplified plan of Lanacombe 1 stone row (After Quinnell, N.V. and Dunn, C.J., 1992 published by Gillings, M. & Taylor, J., 2011, 25).

Map showing the position of Lanacombe 1, other stone rows and other sites (Source: Exmoor National Park HER). 

Characteristics

Type: Double	Length: 42m
No. of stones: 13	Size of stones: Small and medium
Orientation: 135°	Altitude: 401m
Upper end: –	Lower end: –
Straight (Yes or No)  :	Sea View: No
Context:  Stone alignments
Notes: Excavated

Other Information

Public Access:  Yes

Land Status: National Park

Scheduled Ancient Monument: Yes

Identification

Category: Plausible. No doubts have been expressed regarding the prehistoric interpretation of this stone row.

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Typology

This stone row is of Type M10. Information on this form of stone row and other rows of this type is available here.

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Photographs

Copyright: Martyn Copcutt. Original available at Megalithic Portal.

View from above and south east of the upper part of the stone row (Scale 1m).

View from above and south east of the stone row (Scale 1m).

Looking north west along the row (Scale 1m).

Looking north west along the row. Stone 12 and cairn in the foreground (Scale 1m).

Looking north west along the row (Scale 1m).

The upper part of the stone row. View from the south east (Scale 1m).

Individual Stones

Plan showing position of numbered stones.

Stone 1 measures 0.33m long by 0.18m wide and stands up to 0.66m high. View from south (Scale 1m).

Stone 2 measures 0.23m long by 0.08m wide and stands up to 0.23m high. View from north (Scale 1m).

Stone 3 measures 0.27m long by 0.09m wide and stands up to 0.38m high. View from north east (Scale 1m).

Stone 4 measures 0.47m long by 0.10m wide and stands up to 0.56m high. View from south west (Scale 1m).

Stones 5 and 6. Stone 5 (right of ranging rod) measures 0.43m long by 0.19m wide and stands up to 0.10m high. Stone 6 (in front of ranging rod) measures 0.53m long by 0.29m wide and stands up to 0.05m high. View from south (Scale 1m).

Stone 7 measures 0.36m long by 0.06m wide and stands up to 0.13m high. View from south east (Scale 1m).

Stone 8 measures 0.30m long by 0.15m wide and stands up to 0.50m high. View from south east (Scale 1m).

Stone 9 measures 0.40m long by 0.09m wide and stands up to 0.42m high. View from south east (Scale 1m).

Stone 10 measures 0.37m long by 0.16m wide and stands up to 0.15m high. View from south east (Scale 1m).

Stone 11 measures 0.33m long by 0.27m wide and stands up to 0.37m high. View from east (Scale 1m).

Stone 12 measures 0.86m long by 0.24m wide and stands up to 0.40m high. The small stones around this slab represent the remains of a small cairn. View from north east (Scale 1m).

Stone 13 measures 0.45m long by 0.36m wide and stands up to 0.12m high. View from south east (Scale 1m).

Access Information

Plenty of car parking is available at Brendon Two Gates at SS 76510 43254. From here head east across the moorland.  The ground is uneven.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Paul Allen for bringing to my attention an error with the grid reference.

Online Resources 

Megalithic Portal     PastScape     Historic Environment Record

The Miniliths of Exmoor Project     Gillings & Taylor

Other References

Burl, A., 1993, From Carnac to Callanish – The prehistoric rows and avenues of Britain, Ireland and Brittany, Yale University Press, New York and London, pg. 216.

Gillings, M. & Taylor, J., 2011, ‘Excavation and survey at the Exmoor stone settings of Lanacombe I and IV’, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, 154, 23-34.

Quinnell, N.V., and Dunn, C.J., 1992, Lithic Monuments within the Exmoor National Park: a New Survey for Management Purposes, unpub RCHME survey report.

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Timeline

VISITED:- 13th April 2018

FIRST PUBLISHED:- 12th February 2016

LAST UPDATED:- 21st November 2020