Reasons for Designation
Bodmin Moor, the largest of the Cornish granite uplands, has long been recognised to have exceptional preservation of archaeological remains. The Moor has been the subject of detailed archaeological survey and is one of the best recorded upland landscapes in England. The extensive relict landscapes of prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval date provide direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the earliest prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, field systems, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains provides significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time. Henges are ritual or ceremonial centres which date to the Late Neolithic period (2800-2000 BC). They were constructed as roughly circular or oval- shaped enclosures comprising a flat area over 20m in diameter enclosed by a ditch and external bank. One, two or four entrances provided access to the interior of the monument, which may have contained a variety of features including timber or stone circles, post or stone alignments, pits, burials or central mounds. Finds from the ditches and interiors of henges provide important evidence for the chronological development of the sites, the types of activity that occurred within them and the nature of the environment in which they were constructed. Henges are rare nationally with about 80 known examples. Bowl barrows are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age. They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They exhibit regional variations in form and a diversity of burial practices which reflect the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period. Despite the construction of field boundaries, the removal of some stones, reduction in the height of the earthworks through agricultural practices and partial excavation the henge with stone circle called the Stripple Stones and adjacent bowl barrow 415m south east of Hawk's Tor survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, function, longevity, funerary and ritual practices, territorial significance, social organisation and overall landscape context.
Details
The monument includes a henge with an internal stone circle and nearby bowl barrow situated on the upper south east slopes of Hawk's Tor. The henge survives as a circular enclosure defined by an inner, partially-buried ditch with a slight outer bank and a single entrance on the western side. Contained within the henge is a concentric ring of 15 stones, eleven of which are recumbent. Four remain standing ,with a further recumbent stone in the centre of the circle. The four upright stones are between 1.2m to 2m tall. The henge and stone circle are bisected by a newtake wall. First recorded by Lukis in 1879, the henge and stone circle were partially excavated in 1905 by Gray who showed the stones were poorly supported and that several post holes had been constructed to the north east and west of the central stone where possible wooden posts had been placed. He located several other hollows for missing stones. The only recorded finds from the excavation were three flint flakes, some bone and some wood. Immediately to the east of the henge is a bowl barrow which survives as a circular low mound measuring approximately 6m in diameter. The surrounding quarry ditch, from which material to construct the mound was derived, is preserved as a buried feature. Originally the barrow contained a stone lined cist but excavation in 1905 revealed no specific finds and the cist is no longer visible on the surface.
Sources: HER:-
PastScape Monument No:-433133 and 433163
