An enclosed stone hut circle settlement 940m WSW of Nun's Cross

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 940m WSW of Nun's Cross survives comparatively well. This monument forms the largest part of the only settlement on Dartmoor where an agglomerated enclosure containing huts both inside and outside the enclosed area is associated with a separate agglomerated enclosure in which all the huts lie within or are attached to the enclosure boundaries. The settlement lies on the interface between the nearby tin deposits and grazing land and may contain information concerning both or either of these activities.

Details

This monument includes an agglomerated enclosure containing six stone hut circles lying on a north-facing slope overlooking Newleycombe Lake. The enclosure is composed of two conjoined enclosures defined by partly faced rubble walls. The interior of the northern enclosure is almost circular in plan, measures 49m north to south by 51m east to west and is defined by a 1m wide and 0.5m high rubble wall. Three stone hut circles lie within this enclosure and a further two are attached to the inner face of the boundary. The southern enclosure is more recent in date than the northern example, measures 26m north to south by 33m east to west and is defined by a low rubble wall, which in places only just protrudes above the turf level. A stone hut circle is linked to this enclosure boundary. The stone hut circles are composed of stone and earth banks each surrounding an internal area. All six huts are circular in plan, and their internal diameters vary between 2.7m and 4.2m, with the average being 3.35m. The height of the surrounding walls varies between 0.3m and 0.7m, with the average being 0.45m. One hut has a visible doorway. An enclosed settlement lying a short distance to the north east of this monument is the subject of a separate scheduling.

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:

24124

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX56NE125, (1985)
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
National Archaeological Record, SX56NE107, (1985)

End of official list entry

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