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Details:
Blakeway Farm Track is a neolithic wooden trackway running almost due N-S between the villages of Westhay and Mudgely close to the district and parish boundary. It was excavated in September 1944 at a point 488m SE of Blakeway Farm. At one time the Toll Gate House trackway was believed to be associated with it but it has now proved to be of late Bronze age date. The Blakeway Farm Track was exposed for just over 4m of its length. It was 2ft wide, and consisted of a single row of straight hazel rods (10-13ft long) laid longitudinally, upon a thin layer of brushwood placed transversely, and pinned down by slender stakes inserted obliquely beside the track. Radiocarbon tests on hazel stems gave a date of 4460 bp +- 130. The area is now not dug for peat and the track has not been seen for more than 30 years. {1}
A previously unknown photograph of the excavation, presumably taken by Godwin, was lent to SCC as part of an oral history project. A scan of the image has been added to the HER collection. {4}
References:
| 1 |
Detailed records - Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division 1964 ST44SW17 (SCC Planning Department) |
| 2 |
Excavation report - Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society Godwin, H 1960 vol. 26, 17-18 |
| 3 |
Detailed records - Somerset Levels Project finds sheet 050 |
| 4 |
Personal communication - Richard Brunning, Somerset County Council (24/5/2004) |
Data kindly supplied by the Somerset Historic Environment Record.
Record created on 06 December 2001
© Copyright Somerset County Council 2007 |
