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. 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.2000-700 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.
Details
This monument includes an oval enclosure and seven stone hut circles situated
on a gentle west facing slope of Raddick Hill overlooking the valley of the
River Meavy. The enclosure measures 100m long by 80m wide and is defined by a
rubble wall. This has an average width of 2m and stands to 0.6m high, except
on the western downslope side where a lynchet standing up to 1m high denotes
its position. Six of the stone hut circles lie within the enclosure and the
seventh lies immediately outside to the north west. The stone hut circles are
composed of stone and earth banks surrounding a circular internal area. The
internal diameter of the huts varies between 3.2m and 7.4m with the average
being 5.2m. The height of the surrounding wall varies between 0.4m and 0.9m
with the average being 0.58m.
Two stone hut circles and a boundary bank lie to the north of this monument
and are the subject of a separate scheduling.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22294
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
