Balt Moor Wall is an
earthwork and listed
scheduled ancient monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
in
Lyng, Somerset, England, situated on the
Somerset Levels
The Somerset Levels are a coastal plain and wetland area of Somerset, England, running south from the Mendips to the Blackdown Hills.
The Somerset Levels have an area of about and are bisected by the Polden Hills; the areas to the south a ...
to the northwest of the
River Tone
The River Tone is a river in the English county of Somerset. The river is about long. Its source is at Beverton Pond near Huish Champflower in the Brendon Hills, and is dammed at Clatworthy Reservoir. The reservoir outfall continues throu ...
. The site contains the remains of a section of medieval causeway, which now forms a raised embankment between and wide and up to high.
The structure, which English Heritage refers to as "a rare example of medieval engineering",
appears to have been built to protect the
Salt Moor from the flooding of the River Tone in the Athelney-Lyng gap.
History
The wall is first mentioned in a charter signed by
King Stephen between 1135 and 1154,
when monks from
Athelney Abbey
Athelney Abbey, established in the county of Somerset, England, was founded by King Alfred in 888, as a religious house for monks of the Order of St. Benedict. It was dedicated to "Our Blessed Saviour, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Egelwine".
...
were reclaiming some of the land.
The original construction may date from the 9th century,
but it is not clear whether this was intended to control the course of the River Tone, or as a causeway between the fortified sites at Lyng and the Isle of
Athelney
Athelney is a village located between the villages of Burrowbridge and East Lyng in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English '' æþeling'' meaning "prince" + -''ey'' meaning "isle". T ...
.
The Somerset Drainage Commission ordered the causeway to be encased in masonry in 1880. In 1996 the wall was tested for stability, during which medieval pottery was unearthed.
Geophysical
Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term ''geophysics'' some ...
surveys were carried out in 1987 and 1993 with exploratory trenches being dug in 1996.
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References
{{Authority control
Scheduled monuments in Taunton Dene
Archaeological sites in Somerset
Walls in England