Enclosure and hut circle N of Old Hill

Summary

An enclosed stone hut circle settlement with outlying stone hut circle 880m north-west of Avon Filtration Station.

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 some later robbing or disturbance the enclosed stone hut circle settlement with outlying stone hut circle 880m north west of Avon Filtration Station
survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, use, development, longevity, social organisation, farming practices, domestic arrangements and overall landscape context.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 18 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 includes an enclosed stone hut circle settlement with an outlying stone hut circle situated on the lower northern slopes of Old Hill within the valley of the Middle Brook close to its confluence with Bala Brook. The enclosed stone hut circle settlement survives as an oval enclosure approximately 39m long by 29m wide internally containing up to four stone hut circles, three are attached to the southern enclosure wall and the fourth is free standing. The stone hut circles vary in size internally from approximately 3m up to 7m in diameter and like the enclosure are defined by low walls of up to 1.7m wide and 0.5m high with occasional larger stones. To the east a short curving length of additional walling extends on the outside of the enclosure. The outlying hut is approximately 60m to the north-west and measures up to 8.5m in diameter internally with walls of up to 1.4m wide.

Other archaeological remains survive 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 1013

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, Volume Four – The South-East , (1993), 106

Other
PastScape Monument No:-441879 and 442039

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