Eight stone hut circles and two enclosures forming part of an unenclosed settlement 580m south of Leeden 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 stone hut circle settlements on the southern slopes of Leeden Tor survive comparatively well and form part of a rich and diverse archaeological resource. Archaeological structures, features and deposits, in addition to environmental remains, will survive intact and provide an insight into settlement and agricultural practice on the western side of the moor.

Details

This monument includes eight stone hut circles forming the largest part of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement, two enclosures, three lengths of boundary wall, a post-medieval shelter and stone quarries. The monument is situated on a gentle south west facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Walkham. All eight hut circles are circular in plan and measure between 2.6m and 10m in diameter. The walls of the huts are composed of stone and earth and measure between 0.3m and 1m high. One of the huts has an internal partition, four have visible doorways and four are attached to boundary walls. The southern of two enclosures is circular in plan, measures internally 65m in diameter and is defined by a rubble wall 1.2m wide and 0.6m high. A single stone hut circle lies in the centre of the enclosure and two boundary walls lead a short distance from the south east side. The northern enclosure is irregular in plan and is defined by a 1.2m wide and 0.4m high rubble wall defining an internal area 42m north west to south east by 19m north east to south west. A single stone hut circle lies in the centre of the enclosure and two others are built across its boundary wall. The remaining four hut circles are peripheral to the two enclosures. A rectangular structure is butted against the exterior wall of the stone hut circle in the centre of the large circular enclosure. The interior of this building measures 4.3m long by 1m wide and is defined by a 1m wide and 0.3m high rubble wall. This building may be a shelter associated with summer grazing or perhaps more likely, it may be a quarry workers' shelter. A number of small granite quarries can be identified within the northern part of the monument and extend for some distance beyond it.

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:

22263

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
National Archaeological Record, SX57SE43,
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)

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