Winscombe Archaeology
It is clear that the present crossroads between the line of the A38 and Shipham Lane/Broadway cannot have exited in its present position until after the ridge and furrow was no longer in use, but the crossroads must have been located here at the time White’s map was drawn in 1792. Broadway would seem to be a relatively recent road (post mediaeval), so therefore an earlier road must have connected Woodborough and Sandford with Shipham by another route avoiding the field systems. The most likely routes would have been south from Shipham Lane at ST 4260 5832 (Leg Lane) where it would pass close to Paddington House and Winterhead, or along Hillyfields to Winterhead. The former route passes through a field once called Blunderhedge which has evidence of earthworks. It could be argued that perhaps this is an indication of a small settlement, abandoned in the middle ages, thus leaving the arable land associated with it available for a different road system to develop.
An interesting feature was revealed during the survey work in Outer Horseleaze. This was a circular area of high resistance about 35m in diameter with some indication of a surrounding ditch. It was tentatively identified as a ploughed-out round barrow as it is on the crest of a ridge with commanding views of the valley to the west. The northern ditch of the Roman road disappears as it cuts this feature. It is suggested that the barrow existed as a low mound at the time the agger of the road was constructed, the northern side of the road cutting across the edge of the barrow. The ditch would then have been lost as the barrow was ploughed away during later cultivation.