Two stone alignments and a round cairn 390m NW of Sharpitor

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 alignments or stone rows consist of upright stones set in single file or in avenues of two or more parallel lines, up to several hundred metres in length. They are often physically linked to burial monuments, such as small cairns, cists and barrows, and are considered to have had an important ceremonial function. The Dartmoor alignments mostly date from the Late Neolithic period (c.2400-2000 BC). Some eighty examples, most of them on the outer Moor, provide over half the recorded national population. Due to their comparative rarity and longevity as a monument type, all surviving examples are considered nationally important, unless very badly damaged.

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved and densest concentrations of round cairns in south-western Britain. Despite evidence for partial excavation of the cairn and limited robbing of the stone alignments, the two stone alignments and round cairn 390m NNW of Sharpitor survive comparatively well and form an important constituent part of a diverse group of monuments including contemporary settlements, field systems, ritual and other funerary sites.

Details

This monument includes two roughly parallel stone alignments and a round cairn situated on a gently sloping hillside overlooking the valley of the River Walkham. The round cairn stands at the south-western end of two rows of stones, one row arranged in pairs (a double stone alignment), and the other row comprising single stones. The cairn mound measures 7.4m in diameter and stands up to 0.4m high. A hollow in the eastern side of the mound is probably the result of partial excavation or robbing. The double stone alignment includes forty-one visible stones of which eleven have fallen. Other stones probably survive below the ground surface. This row extends from the cairn in an ENE direction and measures 112.5m long. The tallest stones survive at the eastern end and measure 0.5m and 1m high. The distance between the stone pairings varies between 2.38m and 1.16m and is generally greater towards the eastern end. The terminal cairn at the western end and a blocking stone at the east indicate that the original length of the alignment survives. The single alignment includes thirty stones forming an 82.5m long row standing between 0.1m and 0.4m high. The eastern end of this row lies close to the blocking stone.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

22283

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Worth, R H, Worth's Dartmoor, (1981), 214
Emmett, D D, Devon Archaeological Society Proceedings in Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered, Vol. 37, (1979), 109

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX57SE27,
National Archaeological Record, SX57SE49,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX57SE27.01,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX57SE26,
National Archaeological Record, SX57SE118,

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