Stone hut circle and field-plots 100m 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.

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. The field system associated with the hut circle 100m east of Ger Tor is the most extensive identified within this large enclosure.

Details

This monument includes a stone hut circle and associated field-plots situated on a steep south-east facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Tavy. The building is terraced into the hillslope and is composed of stone and earth walls surrounding a circular internal area. The interior of the hut measures 4.5m in diameter and is surrounded by a 1.5m wide wall standing up to 0.4m high. The surrounding boundary banks are composed of rubble walling measuring 1.5m wide and standing up to 0.4m high. These form a field system which includes four small field-plots. This monument forms part of a wider settlement lying in the northern part of a large enclosure east of Ger Tor. Further traces of field boundaries survive east of the 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:

22245

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX57SW97,
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX58SW97,

End of official list entry

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