Parts of the Somerset Levels and Mendip Hills were surveyed to National Mapping Programme (NMP) standards to provide baseline information and an indication of the potential archaeological resource visible on aerial photographs in mineral producing areas.
This contributed to the Somerset County Archaeological Resource Assessment carried out by staff at Somerset County Council, funded by English Heritage through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF project 3994).
The East Mendip Hills and the Mendip Hills AONB
The East Mendip Hills have a landscape of undulating hills and are currently characterised by their large limestone quarries and pastoral agriculture. The survey area extended from Wells in the southwest to Frome in the northeast.
The survey has revealed a past of intensive arable farming in the medieval and post medieval periods. The late 18th century to early 19th century was a period of land improvement and experimentation in the Mendips. This can be seen from the varied examples found by aerial survey of the upland version of the water meadow, the catchwork system, which was used to irrigate farmland.
The parts of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which fall within Somerset, were interpreted and mapped from aerial photographs to NMP standards as part of the Somerset ALSF archaeological assessment. This also contributed to an English Heritage multi-disciplinary archaeological survey of the whole of the AONB.
Interim reports on Mendip AONB NMP in Somerset, and in the northern areas outside Somerset are available as PDF downloads. The results of the English Heritage multi-disciplinary project will be published next year.
The Somerset Levels
The Levels have a distinctive landscape consisting of peat moorland formed around raised rock islands capped with sand deposits. The survey area includes Sowy Island on which the villages of Westonzoyland, Middlezoy and Othery are located and the surrounding peat moor. The historic battlefield of Sedgemoor is in the north of the area.
The aerial survey results range from the prehistoric to the Second World War. On the area once occupied by Westonzoyland airfield, results from many of these periods can be seen together: from the remains of Bronze Age burial mounds to the Second World War airfield.
The images used on this page are copyright English Heritage unless specified otherwise. For further details of any photographs or other images and for copies of these, or the plans and reports related to the project please contact the English Heritage Archive.
For further information on a project or any other aspect of the work of the Aerial Survey team please contact us by email via the link above.
