Stone circle and cairn 330m south of Little Hound 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 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 circles, or circular arrangements of upright stones, were set into the ground and acted as ceremonial and funerary monuments during the later Neolithic and Bronze Age periods (c.2400-700 BC). On Dartmoor they are often found in association with stone alignments and burial monuments such as cairns and cists. The circles may be single or enclose further circles; they may occur as isolated examples or in groups. The 26 examples on Dartmoor form one of the most dense concentrations of monuments of this type in the country. Due to their relative rarity (with a national population of only some 200 examples) and longevity as a monument type, all stone circles are considered to be nationally important.

A small cairn lies 5m south west of the stone circle. Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in form and 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. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved and most dense concentrations of round cairns in south western Britain. Despite evidence of turf stripping and partial restoration, the stone circle and small cairn 330m south of Little Hound Tor survive comparatively well and contain archaeological information. Archaeological deposits and features probably survive within the interior of the circle. This monument forms part of a larger ritual complex, which includes at least four cairns, a standing stone and this stone circle.

Details

This monument includes a stone circle and small cairn situated on a saddle between the two Hound Tors overlooking Raybarrow Pool and the valley of the Small Brook. The diameter of the stone circle is 20.2m and it includes 18 stones, of which one has fallen and another is leaning. The stones are evenly spaced at roughly 3m intervals and vary in size from 0.3m to 1.15m high, though several have had their tops broken off. Slight undulations within the interior of the circle are probably the result of 19th century turf stripping. Five of the stones were re-erected by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee and these may be those which have a fresher appearance than the others. A small round cairn lies 5m south west of the stone circle and survives as a circular mound 2m in diameter and 0.15m high. A further cairn lying 70m to the south east of the 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:

24136

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991), 203-204
Baring-Gould, S, Devonshire Association Transactions in Third Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, Vol. 28, (1896), 181-182
Prowse, A B, Devonshire Association Transactions in Notes On The Neighbourhood of Taw Marsh, North Dartmoor, Vol. 22, (1890), 189
Turner, J R, Devon Archaeological Society Proceedings in Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, Vol. 48, (1990), 56

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68NW6, (1993)

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