Stone hut circle 325m NNW of Tresibbet Farm

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.

This stone hut circle on Tresibbet Farm has survived reasonably well, with only minor disturbance due to the modern hedgebank which crosses its wall. The nearby prehistoric and medieval settlements and field systems on Smith's Moor and along the valley side place this monument in its wider context, demonstrating well the nature of farming practices among prehistoric communities and its development into the medieval period.

Details

The monument includes a prehistoric hut circle situated on the western edge of Smith's Moor, at the eastern crest of the upper River Fowey valley on southern Bodmin Moor. The hut circle is located near the north-western end of a settlement of five stone hut circles dispersed along the west and south-west edges of Smith's Moor. The hut circle survives with a wall of heaped rubble, up to 1m wide and 0.3m high, defining a circular internal area measuring 6m in diameter, levelled into the hillslope. The wall has outer facing slabs up to 0.4m high. The north-eastern sector of the hut circle's wall is over-ridden by a modern stone-faced hedgebank running on a NNW-SSE axis, which has removed some rubble from the immediately adjacent parts of the hut circle wall. Beyond the monument, the north-western hut circle in this settlement is located 30m to the NNW and prehistoric field walls associated with this settlement survive from 55m to the south-east. Another hut circle settlement is situated on the midslope of the valley, 270m to the north-west and the later deserted medieval settlement of Tresibbet, with its field system, is located from 125m to the north-west. The modern post-and-wire fence is excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath, including the hedgebank, is included.

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:

15271

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
consulted 1993, Carter, A./Fletcher, M.J./RCHME, 1:2500 AP plot and field trace for SX 2075,
consulted 1993, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1009.05,

End of official list entry

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