Enclosed stone hut circle settlement on the south-east slope of Conies Down Tor

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 enclosed stone hut circle settlement on the south-east slope of Conies Down Tor survives comparatively well and forms part of a scattered group of at least five broadly contemporary settlements situated in the upper reaches of the valley of the River Cowsic. Both the huts and enclosures contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed and, as such, provide a valuable source of information concerning the nature of Bronze Age occupation and land use in this remote Dartmoor valley.

Details

This monument includes an enclosed stone hut circle settlement situated on the south-east slope of Conies Down Tor on a terrace close to the River Cowsic. Six stone hut circles are associated with two sub-oval enclosures. The interior of the northern enclosure measures 65m long by 48m wide and is defined by a low rubble wall standing up to 0.3m high and 0.8m wide. An entrance survives in the northern length of the wall. A stone hut circle lies within this enclosure and two others are attached to the southern wall. The interior of the southern enclosure measures 62m long by 50m wide and is also defined by a low rubble wall. This enclosure is subdivided by a boulder wall into two main compartments. A stone hut circle lies within the enclosure, another is attached to the southern wall and another lies immediately outside the western wall. The stone hut circles are all circular in plan and measure between 2.2m and 4.8m in diameter. The walls of all the huts are composed of stone and earth and measure between 0.4m and 0.7m high. Two of the huts are freestanding and the remainder are attached to the enclosure of boundary walls.

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:

22223

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991)
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities in Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - The North, Vol. 2, (1991), 125

Other
National Archaeological Record, SX57NE6,
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX57NE26, (1983)

End of official list entry

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