Two stone hut circles 100m east of Leeden Tor forming part of a stone hut circle settlement

Overview

Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument

List Entry Number: 1011190

Date first listed: 17-Jun-1994

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

National Park: DARTMOOR

National Grid Reference: SX 56372 71703

Summary

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

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.

The two stone hut circles 100m east of Leeden Tor survive well within a coaxial field system and, together with other nearby settlement sites and ceremonial monuments, provide an important insight into occupation and farming practices on the Moor during the prehistoric period.

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Details

This monument includes two stone hut circles aligned north west-south east and situated on a gentle east-facing slope of Leeden Tor overlooking the valley of the River Meavy. The huts are terraced into the hillside, abut a large rock on their upper side and are composed of stone and earth banks surrounding an internal area. The interior of the northern hut measures 3.4m in diameter and the wall stands 1.2m wide and 0.3m high. The southern hut measures 5m long by 3m wide and is defined by a wall, 1.7m wide and 0.5m high. Stone hut circles, enclosures, a reave, a round cairn and stone alignment have been identified in close proximity to this monument.

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: 22322

Legacy System: RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX57SE17,
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.