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. Stone hut circles were the dwelling places of prehistoric
farmers on the Moor, mostly dating from the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). The
stone-based round houses survive as low walls or banks enclosing a circular
floor area; remains of a turf or thatch roof are not preserved. The huts occur
singly or in small or large groups and may occur in the open or be enclosed by
a bank of earth and stone. Although they are common on the Moor, their
longevity of use and their relationship with other monument types provides
important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming
practices among prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative
of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.
Details
The monument includes three closely-spaced stone hut circles situated on the
north-west slope of a broad spur occupied by Higher Langdon Farm in the River
Fowey valley on southern Bodmin Moor.
The hut circles form the central part of a dispersed linear settlement
containing seven hut circles which are arranged along an approximate east-west
line over 134m of the hillslope, and surround a hollow which contains thick,
damp peat deposits.
Of the three central hut circles contained in this monument, the central and
western examples are situated 10m apart on a NW-SE axis while the central and
eastern examples are situated 7.5m apart on a NE-SW axis. Each hut circle
survives with a wall of heaped rubble and boulders defining a circular
internal area levelled into the hillslope. The western hut circle has a wall
up to 1.2m wide and 0.4m high enclosing an internal area 6.5m in diameter. The
sides of the wall are well-defined by small inner and outer facing slabs and
blocks.
The central hut circle has a wall up to 1.7m wide and 0.6m high enclosing an
internal area 4.9m in diameter. The levelling of the northern part of the hut
circle was achieved by building it out from the slope on a rubble platform,
complementing the cut into the slope to level the southern part.
The eastern hut circle has a wall up to 1.9m wide and 0.7m high, enclosing an
internal area measuring 5m in diameter. The wall of this hut circle has inner
and outer facing slabs. This hut circle's wall is also adjoined by the
surviving fragments of an adjacent prehistoric field boundary projecting from
its north-west and south-east sides. The north-west fragment is 1.5m long and
survives as a heaped rubble wall, 0.6m wide and 0.3m high, with facing slabs.
The south-east wall fragment is of similar construction, 2m long, 0.6m wide
and 0.6m high.
Beyond this monument, a curving length of prehistoric wall survives from 25m
to the north-west. The settlement containing these hut circles is located
close to extensive prehistoric and medieval settlement sites and field systems
on the crown of the spur on its eastern and southern flanks.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
15256
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
