OS One-Inch Old Series / First Edition Map Viewer (Sheet 21)

Ordnance Survey One-Inch First Edition Old Map of Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Hampshire: Old Series map of OS Old Series Map Sheet 21 (North Dorset / Cranborne Chase inferred).

Please note that the modern reference map on the split screen is intended as a guide only.

Old Series Map Index

 

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Landscape and Archaeological Assessment

Landscape Classification

This sheet represents a upland river-valley landscape, characterised by North Devon and Exmoor-fringe hachured ridges, valley corridors and inland route crossings.

Archaeological Landscape

The primary archaeological theme is North Devon / Exmoor-fringe upland routeway, valley crossing and enclosure landscape. Enhanced prediction from Roman-road, ridgeway, hillfort/enclosure, villa/estate, road-convergence and river-crossing logic.

High Visibility Locations

Exmoor Southern Fringe

Terrain Archaeology

The terrain is interpreted using hachures. Relief is represented by hachures, allowing inference of ridgeways, high points, spur ends, valley approaches and likely route/crossing logic.

Main Geographic Information

Main Landscape Features

Sheet 21 shows a mixed area of upland river-valley North Devon and Exmoor-fringe hachured ridges, valley corridors and inland route crossings . The map is useful for studying early 19th Century historic settlement patterns, Roman road alignments, early archaeological site indentification, how roads, old tracks, lanes and paths, villages, waterways and field systems related to the wider nineteenth-century landscape.

Main Geographic Features

Archaeological Predictions

Archaeological Hotspots

Exmoor Southern Fringe is interpreted as a upland pastoral route and enclosure landscape landscape. Taw/Mole Valley Crossing Belt is interpreted as a river-valley crossing and settlement zone landscape. South Molton Route Node is interpreted as a road convergence and market-town archaeology landscape.

Historic Routes, Crossings and Connections

Exmoor-Taw upland route corridor is interpreted as a prehistoric/Roman upland route corridor. Historic crossing points where roads, trackways or routeways converge on significant water features are widely recognised as archaeological hotspots. Crossing points often acted as gateways within the historic landscape. Because movement was channelled through these locations, archaeological evidence may occur both at the crossing itself and along the routes leading towards it, forming broader zones of archaeological potential rather than isolated sites.Tiverton-South Molton valley route is interpreted as a medieval/Roman candidate valley route. Historic crossing points where roads, trackways or routeways converge on significant water features are widely recognised as archaeological hotspots. Crossing points often acted as gateways within the historic landscape. Because movement was channelled through these locations, archaeological evidence may occur both at the crossing itself and along the routes leading towards it, forming broader zones of archaeological potential rather than isolated sites.

Historic Gateways and Crossing Places

South Molton river/route crossing is a river/route crossing node. Taw valley crossing belt is a river crossing corridor.

Main Places