Length of boundary wall and seven stone hut circles forming part of a large enclosure north-east of Ger 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. 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.

Despite evidence for partial excavation, the stone hut circles within the large enclosure north-east of Ger Tor survive comparatively well and contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument, the economy of its inhabitants and the landscape in which they lived. As such, the site provides a valuable insight into the nature of Bronze Age occupation on the west side of the Moor. Many of the huts are visually impressive examples of their type.

Details

This monument includes a length of enclosure boundary wall and seven stone hut circles situated on a south-east facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Tavy. The enclosure boundary includes two 1m wide and 0.3m high rubble banks, which both curve to form a funnelled entrance measuring 50m across. The enclosure, of which this monument only forms the northern edge, measures 440m north to south by 600m east to west and is defined on the east by a small stream, on the south by the River Tavy and on the west by a rubble wall. The shape and orientation of the entrance passage suggests that this enclosure was constructed to hold livestock driven from the higher moorland, and its size reflects the need for a large quantity of grazing. Many of the stone hut circles within the enclosure are situated in discrete clusters within the vicinity of the northern boundary. This monument includes seven stone hut circles situated within the entrance area, which would have been the focal point for activity within the enclosure. The stone hut circles survive as stone and earth walls surrounding an internal area. Six of the huts are circular and their internal diameters vary between 3.5m and 6m, with the average being 4.5m. The remaining hut is oval in shape and its interior measures 2m long by 1.5m wide and the surrounding wall 1.5m wide and 0.3m high. The height of all the hut walls vary between 0.3m and 0.7m. One hut has an annex, five have visible doorways, one an internal partition, one a bench and three are attached to boundary walls. Excavation of four huts within the settlement was carried out by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1893. Hearths were found in two huts, a partition wall in another and two of the huts were partly paved with large slabs.

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:

22242

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991), 100-101
Baring-Gould, S, Devonshire Association Transactions in Hut Circles at Tavy Cleave, Vol. 26, (1894), 197-198

Other
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX58SE19,

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