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 and a substantial proportion of
surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.
The enclosures and stone hut circle settlement on Langstone Moor, to which
this monument belongs, survive well, are visually impressive and represent
particularly fine examples of their class. They contain archaeological remains
and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which
it was constructed and, as such, provide a valuable insight into the nature of
Bronze Age occupation and land use on the west side of the moor.
Details
This monument includes seven stone hut circles, a length of field boundary and
a clearance cairn forming part of the large Bronze Age settlement on Langstone
Moor. All seven huts are circular in plan and the internal diameters of these
structures vary from 2.6m to 6m. The average height of the walls is 0.29m.
One of the huts has a porch and another is attached to a short length of
boundary wall. A clearance cairn, measuring 3m in diameter and standing up to
0.3m high, indicates that there was some limited removal of field stone from
the area, perhaps to provide garden plots or grazing. The area between the
huts thus probably contains important archaeological traces of contemporary
occupation and agricultural activity.
Eleven of the huts on Langstone Moor were excavated by the Dartmoor
Exploration Committee during 1894. A raised dais, a hearth and cooking hole
were found in several of them. The artefacts recovered included a flint core,
five flakes and a scraper.
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.
