Enclosure with hut circles on 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 a well-preserved example and is one of several in the vicinity of Eastern Tor.

Details

This enclosure with hut circles lies on the south-east facing slope of Eastern Tor, above the north bank of the River Plym. It is irregular in shape, its eastern side having been incorporated in a later intake wall. The bank is built of earth and stone with some very large boulders and is up to 2.5m in width and 0.4m in height generally, but up to 1m in height where the large boulders stand. The enclosure is subdivided by a wall cutting off the north-eastern end and there are two freestanding hut circles in the larger part of the enclosure. These hut circles are both 8m in diameter with double faced walls 1m in thickness and 0.3m in height. The southern hut has large stones up to 0.6m in height incorporated in its walls and an entrance to the north-east. The northern hut has an entrance to the west. The enclosure covers an area of c.0.3ha.

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:

10712

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
SX56NE-020, REF SX56NE-020, (1990)

End of official list entry

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