Hut circles on Bonehill Down

Summary

Two stone hut circles 250m west and 220m ESE of Slades Well.

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 one hut circle being partially cut by a track and disturbed by tinning activity the two stone hut circles 250m west and 220m ESE of Slades Well survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, use, domestic arrangements, agricultural practices and overall landscape context.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 12 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 two areas includes two stone hut circles situated on opposing sides of the ridge between Honeybag Tor and Chinkwell Tor and lie within part of a coaxial field system. The western hut circle survives as a circular structure measuring up to 7m in diameter internally defined by some orthostats and a bank which measures up to 1m wide. The wall has been cut by a track to the west and a spoil heap from a tinner’s pit lies against the north east side. The eastern hut is defined by a partial facing of orthostats and the rest a rubble bank of up to 0.7m high and it has an internal diameter of 6m.

There are further archaeological remains in the vicinity, some are scheduled separately but others are not because they have not been formally assessed.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

DV 856

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, Volume One - The East , (1991), 49-50

Other
PastScape Monument No:-445059 and 445060

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