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. Within the landscape of Dartmoor
there are many discrete plots of land enclosed by stone walls or banks of
stone and earth, most of which date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC), though
earlier and later examples also exist. They were constructed as stock pens or
as protected areas for crop growing and were sometimes subdivided to
accommodate stock and hut circle dwellings for farmers and herdsmen. The size
and form of enclosures may therefore vary considerably depending on their
particular function. Their variation in form, longevity and relationship to
other monument classes 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.
Details
The monument includes an enclosed stone hut circle settlement and a later
shelter situated on a gentle south-west facing slope overlooking the valley of
the Colly Brook. The interior of the enclosure measures 106m north to south
by 72m east to west and is defined by a wall of double orthostats with a
rubble infill. This wall measures 3m wide and stands up to 1m high with an
entrance on its west side. The eastern and western lengths of this boundary
wall are lynchetted. Six of the seven stone hut circles forming the
settlement lie within the enclosure and the other is attached to, and partly
overlain by, the boundary wall. The interiors of the hut circles measure
between 3.6m and 5.4m in diameter and are defined by walls with an average
width of 1.5m standing 0.6m high. The shelter survives as a small rectangular
platform measuring 4m long by 3.5m wide and standing up to 0.3m high and is
attached to the outer face of the enclosure wall. This structure clearly
abuts the Prehistoric enclosure wall and therefore this building is of more
recent date than the settlement.
At least three of the stone hut circles were excavated by the Dartmoor
Exploration Committee in 1899. Evidence of human occupation in the form of
fire and flint chips was recovered from the huts and one contained a sherd
of contemporary pottery.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22210
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals 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
