Stone hut circle west of Corringdon Leat, Corringdon Ball

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.

This stone hut circle is unusual in having a sub chamber and forms part of a concentration of contemporary occupation evidence surviving on Corringdon Ball, near the ceremonial and funerary complex at Glasscombe.

Details

This stone hut circle lies on the south western slope of Corringdon Ball, some 35m west of Corringdon Leat and forms part of a concentration of occupation evidence occurring in the area. The hut circle is 10m in diameter and has walls of stone and earth, 2m in thickness and 0.6m in height. It has an entrance to the south, next to which is a sub chamber measuring 5m in diameter, which is attached externally to the hut wall. The sub chamber has walls 0.5m in thickness and 0.4m in height and an entrance to the west.

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:

10862

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
SX 66 SE-385, SX 66 SE-385, (1991)

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