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,
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. Cairnfields are concentrations of three or
more cairns sited within close proximity to one another; they may consist of
burial cairns or cairns built with stone cleared from the land surface
(clearance cairns). Round funerary cairns were constructed during the Bronze
Age (c.2000-700 BC) and consisted of earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes
ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. The
considerable variation in the size of cairnfields and their longevity as a
monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and
social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are
particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of
surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.
Details
This monument includes a cairnfield situated on a gentle south-facing slope
overlooking Willsworthy Brook. The cairnfield includes ten mounds scattered
around the edge of a field, which is defined only by the location of the
mounds. The majority of the cairns are believed to represent stone-clearance
relating to cultivation of the area during the Bronze Age period. Six
of the mounds are sub-circular in shape and these range in size from 3.5m to
6.5m in diameter and stand between 0.3m and 0.4m high. The remainder are
ovoid in shape and these range between 4m to 7.5m long, 2.2m to 5m wide and
stand between 0.3m and 0.6m high. The average height of all the mounds is
0.37m. One cairn has a shallow hollow in the centre of the mound, suggesting
robbing or partial excavation. Another cairn mound measuring 6.5m in diameter
is probably a burial monument.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
20351
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
