Tarr Steps

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The Tarr Steps are a prehistoric clapper bridge across the River Barle in the Exmoor National Park, Somerset, England. They are located in a National Nature Reserve about convert|2.5|mi|km|0|lk=on south east of Withypool and convert|4|mi|km|0 north west of Dulverton.

A typical clapper bridge construction, the bridge possibly dates to around 1000 BC. The stone slabs weigh up to 5 tons apiece. According to local legend, they were placed by the devil to win a bet. The bridge is convert|180|ft|m|0|lk=on long and has 17 spans.cite book |title=Curiosities of Somerset |last=Leete-Hodge |first=Lornie |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1985 |publisher=Bossiney Books |location=Bodmin |isbn=0906456983 |pages=63-64 ] It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. [cite web | title= Tarr Steps | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=429207 | accessdate=2007-05-09]

Nature Reserve

Owned by Exmoor National Park Authority, Tarr Steps Woodland National Nature Reserve covers 33 hectares of the River Barle valley. This is mainly Sessile Oak ("Quercus petraea") woodland, with beech (Fagus), ash, sycamore ("Acer pseudoplatanus"), hazel ("Corylus"), blackberry ("Eubatus"), bluebells ("Hyacinthoides non-scripta") and honeysuckle ("Lonicera"). It is internationally significant Fact|date=September 2008 for the mosses, liverworts and lichens which flourish in the cool damp conditions and much of the woodland was once coppiced, primarily to provide charcoal for the local iron smelting industry. The river and the valley woodlands are part of the Barle Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest and abound with wildlife, ranging from red deer to dormice, including the rare Barbastelle Bat (Barbastella barbastellus) [cite web|url=http://www.worlddeer.org/britishbats/barbastelle.html|title=Barbastelle Bat Barbastella barbastellus|last=Walker |first=M.D.|date=2006|publisher=British Bats|accessdate=2008-09-08] and otter that feed along the unpolluted and fast flowing river.

Well marked footpaths run along the valley between Simonsbath and Dulverton and to the village of Withypool. There is a circular walk from the main car park for Tarr Steps down to the river, along the riverbank for about convert|1.3|km|mi|0 to a footbridge and returning on the other side, crossing the river on the clapper bridge. The main car park and toilets (some convert|400|m|ft|0 from the bridge via a footpath) can be reached from the B3223 road between Withypool and Dulverton. Parking for the disabled and refreshments are available nearer the bridge, as are information panels put up by the Exmoor National Park, giving details of Tarr Steps history and design.

Bridge

Within the reserve is the scheduled monument Tarr Steps gbmapping|SS867321, a clapper bridge over the River Barle. The name "clapper bridge" comes from the latin "claperius" which means "pile of stones". It is an ancient form of bridge constructed with large unmortared slabs of stone resting on one another, and is the largest example of its type. There are 17 spans across convert|50|m|yd|0|lk=on, the top slabs weigh 1-2 tons and are about convert|39|in|cm above normal water level. The largest slab is over convert|8|ft|m long and is about convert|5|ft|m wide. This is one of the best known monuments on Exmoor. Its age is unknown as several theories claim that Tarr Steps dates from the Bronze Age but others date them from around 1400 AD. It has been restored several times in recent years, following flood damage. over the years the damage provides a good indicator of the strength of each flood. Some of the top slabs have been washed away in extreme flood conditions and they have now all been numbered to facilitate replacement. The Exmoor National Park web site says “The stones forming the spans weigh between one and two tons each and have on occasions been washed up to 50 yards downstream. A distinctive feature of Tarr Steps is the slabs that are raked against the ends of each pier to break the force of the river and divert floating debris. Despite this, much of the damage has been due to debris such as branches floating down with the flood and battering the bridge. Debris used to be removed once a year by farmers from the Dulverton and Hawkridge sides of the river but since the flood of 1952 it has been trapped by cables strung across the river upstream of the bridge". [cite web|url=http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/looking_after/climate/rain/floods_and_droughts/tarr-steps-floods.htm|title=Floods at Tarr Steps|publisher=Exmoor National Park|accessdate=2008-09-08]

Older locals can remember deer walking under the spans of the bridge. The stags would jump over and the hinds walk under. Now the spans only clear the river bed by about three feet, suggesting that there has been silting of the river bed and that the river does not have to rise as much to overtop the bridge.”

Myth

Myth has it that the Devil built the Bridge at Tarr Steps and still has sunbathing rights on its stones. The myth says that the devil swore he would kill anyone who tried to cross his bridge. The terrified locals got the parson to face him. A cat was sent over the Bridge but was vaporised in a puff of smoke. The parson then set off and met the Devil midway. The Devil swore and intimidated him but the parson gave as good as he got and finally the Devil agreed to let people pass except when he wants to sunbathe.

References

External links

* [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=7385 Megalithic Portal entry for Tarr Steps]
* [http://www.somerset3d.co.uk/logos%20&%20pictures/town%20&%20village%20pages/tarrsteps.htm Photos of Tarr Steps in 3d (Anaglyphs).]
* [http://www.everythingexmoor.org.uk/_T/Tarr_Steps.php www.everythingexmoor.org.uk]
* [http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/looking_after/climate/rain/floods_and_droughts/tarr-steps-floods.htm www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk - information on Tarr Steps floods]
* [http://www.worlddeer.org/britishbats/barbastelle.html Barbastelle Bat Barbastella barbastellus]