Stone hut circle 500m north of Wedlake Farm

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.

Despite partial excavation, the stone hut circle 500m north of Wedlake Farm survives comparatively well and forms an outlying part of an important enclosed stone hut circle settlement. The hut contains archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed and, as such, provides a valuable source of information concerning the nature of Bronze Age occupation and land use on the west side of the Moor.

Details

This monument includes a stone hut circle situated on the gentle south-facing slope of White Tor overlooking the valley of the Colly Brook and lying 80m north of an enclosed stone hut circle settlement. The structure is composed of stone and earth, measures 6.1m in diameter and is defined by a 1m wide wall standing up to 0.5m high. The doorway faces north-west and a contemporary land boundary or reave lies a short distance to the south. Excavations carried out by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1905 recovered charcoal, a piece of spar with a fine facet point and some flint flakes. This structure is one of a large number of stone hut circles scattered around the slopes of White Tor.

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:

22209

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991)
Baring-Gould, S, Devonshire Association Transactions in Tenth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, Vol. 37, (1905)

Other
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
National Archaeological Record, SX57NW102,

End of official list entry

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