Heritage

Mesolithic (9500 - 4000 BC) – Neolithic (4000 - 2200 BC)

The former Royal Forest has a rich history of interactions between people, landscapes and changing environments over time. These relationships can be seen throughout the landscape, from the earliest hunter gatherers living within a wooded Exmoor during the Mesolithic (9500 - 4000 BC), to the building of stone alignments in the Neolithic (4000 - 2200 BC) by societies who are associated with the earliest farming elements. It is at this time that the earliest peat is recorded (so far) on Exmoor.

Bronze Age (2500 – 800 BC)

By the Early Bronze Age (2500 - 1200 BC) people were burying their dead in round barrows, probably in small woodland clearings. During the Middle Bronze Age (1200 – 800 BC) we see an acceleration of woodland clearance and transition to open grassland, associated with the creation of land divisions and setting out fields. It is at this time that the peats probably started to become more widespread.

Iron Age (800 BC – 43 AD)

The Iron Age (800 BC – 43 AD) is defined by societies organised into fiefdoms, with important people living within bank and ditched enclosures. During the Iron Age on Exmoor, grassland dominates the landscape, with areas of peat becoming more widespread.

Cow Castle Cropped

Roman (43 – 410 AD)  – early Medieval (410- 1066 AD)

The evidence for the Romans (43 – 410 AD) and early Medieval (410- 1066 AD) people within the Royal Forest is slight, but mining and iron exploitation probably occurred at various places.

aerial view of Exmoor

Medieval (1066 - 1500 AD)

Confusingly,  by the Medieval period (1066 - 1500 AD) the title of ‘Royal Forest’ was given to the area, but there are few trees present by this time. The Royal Forest was owned by the Crown, though no monarch ever visited Exmoor. It was protected by forest law, which left the Royal Forest uninhabited for over 1,000 years until the Act of Inclosure in 1815.

Post-medieval to WWII

In 1818 the Forest was bought by the Knight family who undertook the last and largest single land reclamation in England. In 1897 the Knight estate was acquired by the Fortescue family of South Molton and their ownership continued into the 1980s. A significant change occurred during WWII when large parts of the Royal Forest were used for training purposes.

The interactions between people and their environment over great spans of time have created the landscape within the former Royal Forest boundary that we see today. It was the Royal Forest itself that ensured the survival of much of the evidence for prehistoric activity, and this contributes to the ancient character of the landscape today.

Although we know a lot about the heritage within the Royal Forest, there is still much left to discover, and much work to protect and conserve the monuments we already know. Through Exmoor Pioneers there are opportunities for everyone to engage with this fantastic landscape, understanding how people and nature have together shaped the landscape we see today. There will also be very special chances to learn about Exmoor’s rich history and shape its future. By joining the Exmoor Pioneers, you will also be able to learn and develop new skills, including undertaking archaeological surveys, remote sensing, excavation, research and monitoring irreplaceable heritage assets through workshops and training delivered by heritage experts.   Visit our Join Us page to explore events, volunteering, and skills development opportunities.

Interested in learning more about archaeological sites, historic buildings, and other heritage assets on Exmoor? Visit the Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record.

Many monuments within and around the Royal Forest are of local and national significance. This means the monuments have created a distinctive character, cultural identity, and spirit of place within Exmoor. By protecting the monuments, we can ensure their preservation for future research opportunities, education, leisure, and social benefits.

Exmoor Pioneers will work to conserve locally and nationally designated assets that are subject to threat of being damaged or threatened by human intervention and processes such as climate change. This will include condition assessment, undertaking basic repairs, and interventions such as dead hedging and erosion matting and follow-up monitoring of the monuments within the project.

Want to help monitor the condition of, and preserve important heritage assets and monuments within Exmoor? Visit our Join Us page to explore volunteering opportunities.

Join the search for new archaeological discoveries! Using remote sensing techniques like lidar, you can help uncover Exmoor’s unknown sites and monuments, revealing secrets hidden within the landscape. Once discoveries are made, you will have the chance to get your boots on and explore your findings alongside heritage experts, helping us to gain deeper insights into Exmoor’s past. Be part of the journey and help bring Exmoor’s lost heritage to light!

Want to learn how to analyse lidar data and make new archaeological discoveries? Visit our Join Us page to explore volunteering opportunities.

Farming has long shaped Exmoor’s landscape, influencing both its ecosystems and the way its communities’ function. Explore how historical agricultural practices have helped form the land we know today. Through personal accounts, archival research, and archaeological surveys we’ll uncover farming traditions connected to historic land use. By studying past strategies, we can gain valuable insights to help inform future conservation and land management practices.

Join Us in uncovering the past to shape a more sustainable future!

Have you ever wanted to take part in an archaeological dig? Be part of an archaeological excavation alongside professionals, contributing to discoveries that illuminate our understanding of Exmoor’s past. We hope to run excavations in 2026 and 2027.