 During the Middle Ages , sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy . The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven , fulled , dyed and finished in thriving towns such as Dunster . The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed , leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields . During the 16th and 17th centuries the commons were overstocked with agisted livestock , from farmers outside the immediate area who were charged for the privilege . This led to disputes about the number of animals allowed and the enclosure of land . In the mid @-@ 17th century James Boevey was the warden . The house that he built at Simonsbath was the only one in the forest for 150 years . When the royal forest was sold off in 1818 , John Knight bought the Simonsbath House and the accompanying farm for £ 50 @,@ 000 . He set about converting the royal forest into agricultural land . He and his family also built most of the large farms in the central section of the moor as well as 35 @.@ 4 km ( 22 @.@ 0 mi ) of metalled access roads to Simonsbath and a 46 @.@ 7 km ( 29 @.@ 0 mi ) wall around his estate , much of which still survives . 
