Enclosure with hut circles south-east of Eastern 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 provides 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.

Within the landscape of Dartmoor there are many discrete plots of land enclosed by stone walls or banks of stone and earth, most of which date to the Bronze Age (c.2500-1000 BC), though earlier and later examples also exist. They were constructed as stock pens or as protected areas for crop growing and were sometimes subdivided to accommodate stock and hut circle dwellings for farmers and herdsmen. The size and form of enclosures may therefore vary considerably depending on their particular function. Their variation in form, longevity and relationship to other monument classes 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 enclosure with hut circles is one of several enclosures in the vicinity of Eastern Tor.

Details

This enclosure lies on a south-east facing slope above the north bank of the River Plym and below Eastern Tor. It is sub-oval in shape, c.130m in length and c.65m in width and is in an area of outcropping rock and heavy clitter on the side of the tor; this combined with high bracken makes observation difficult. The enclosure bank incorporates large natural boulders along the north side and is up to 2m in width and on average 0.5m to 1m in height, though the boulders are up to 2m in height. There are the remains of a subdivision at the western end, with a hut 10m in diameter in the junction between the main bank and that of the subdivision. There are at least seven other hut circles in the enclosure, all of them freestanding and up to 10m in diameter with walls up to 1m in thickness and 0.5m in height. The north bank has been incorporated in later intake walling.

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:

10711

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
SX56NE-026, REF SX56NE-026, (1990)

End of official list entry

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