Three hut circles at north end of Vogwell Down

Summary

An unenclosed stone hut circle settlement 310m south of Vogwell Farm.

Reasons for Designation

Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and, because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country. The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provide direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time. Stone hut circles and hut settlements were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers on Dartmoor. They mostly date from the Bronze Age, with the earliest examples on the Moor in this building tradition dating to about 1700 BC. The stone-based round houses consist of low walls or banks enclosing a circular floor area; remains of the turf or thatch roof are not preserved. The huts may occur singly or in small or large groups and may lie in the open or be enclosed by a bank of earth and stone. Although they are common on the Moor, their longevity and their relationship with other monument types provide important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming practices amongst prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period. Despite two of the hut circles having been cut by a track and the third disturbed by the construction of a later field boundary and some interference from agricultural activity, the unenclosed stone hut circle settlement 310m south of Vogwell Farm survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, development, agricultural practices, domestic arrangements and overall landscape context.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 11 November 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument which falls into three areas includes an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement situated on the upper north facing slopes of Vogwell Down. The settlement survives as three stone hut circles in a linear arrangement. The southern and central hut circles survive as circular interior areas measuring up to 6.8m in diameter surrounded by orthostatic interior faced and part rubble built walls measuring up to 1m wide and 0.8m high. Both are cut by a track. The northern hut circle survives as a 6.5m diameter levelled platform with two massive orthostats, one measuring 2.7m long, 0.4m wide and 1.8m high and a smaller contiguous stone with the north western portion of the hut circle walling being fossilised by a later curving a field boundary. There are no clear entrances to the hut circles.

A connecting bank which appears to link the central and southern hut is not included in the scheduling because it has not been formally assessed.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

DV 757

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, Volume One - The East , (1991), 150

Other
PastScape Monument No:-445633

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