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.
Details
This monument includes two enclosures, sixteen stone hut circles and a
tinners' building situated on an east-facing valley side overlooking the
Rattle Brook. The smaller western enclosure measures 48m long by 37m wide and
is defined by a double-faced wall, 1m wide and 0.4m high. Five stone hut
circles are linked to this enclosure wall, which is of a more recent date than
the huts. The second larger enclosure is defined by a 1m wide and 0.3m high
rubble wall along its northern edge, the Rattle Brook along its eastern and
southern edges and by a steep clitter slope on its short west side. The
stratigraphic relationship between the two enclosures no longer survives above
ground level, though the difference in wall construction suggests that they
may belong to different periods. There are ten free-standing stone hut circles
within this enclosure and another is linked to the boundary wall. The
enclosure boundary clearly deviates to include this hut in its circuit
suggesting that the enclosure was constructed sometime after the hut. The
linear distribution of many stone hut circles within the enclosure strongly
suggests that they may have once been linked by a palisade or similar
structure which now partly survives as a buried feature.
The stone hut circles are composed of stone and earth banks surrounding an
internal area. The internal diameter of the huts varies between 2m and 6.8m
with the average being 3.7m. The height of the surrounding wall varies between
0.3m and 0.7m, with the average being 0.47m. Six of the huts are attached to
visible boundary walls and five have identifiable doorways.
The tinners' building includes a rectangular one-roomed structure measuring 2m
long by 1.5m wide, defined by a 1m wide and 1m high orthostatic wall. This
building is similar in character to others found in close proximity to
tinworks and it is believed that they were used for the storage of tools and
other materials.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22238
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals 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
