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Tarr Steps is a clapper bridge crossing the River Barle in the Exmoor area of Somerset. The bridge comprises a series of large flat stone slabs supported on stone piers, constructed in a manner typical of medieval river crossings, though its precise date of construction remains uncertain and has been subject to scholarly debate. The structure measures approximately 55 metres in length and consists of around seventeen stone slabs, making it one of the longest examples of its type in England. The bridge has been repeatedly damaged and repaired over centuries, particularly following flood events, and represents an important example of vernacular stone construction serving both practical and historical functions in the landscape.
Tarr Steps is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1021325. View the official record →
Tarr Steps is a clapper bridge crossing the River Barle in the Exmoor area of Somerset. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1021325.
Tarr Steps is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1021325.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Old Barrow on Old Barrow Down (2.7 km), Brewer's Castle (2.8 km), Mounsey Castle and an associated outwork 100m to the north (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Tarr Steps's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Tarr Steps stands on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.