An enclosure, six stone hut circles, a length of reave and several prospecting pits 170m north-east of Leather 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 enclosure, six stone hut circles, length of reave and several prospecting pits 170m north-east of Leather Tor survive well within an area containing a variety of archaeological monuments. The settlement contains archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument, the economy of its inhabitants and the landscape in which they lived and, as such, provides a valuable insight into the nature of Bronze Age occupation on the west side of the Moor. The multi-phase character of the settlement will provide information concerning the changing domestic and agricultural requirements of an upland Bronze Age society. In addition to the enclosure, the monument includes a length of reave, which forms part of a coaxial field system. The reaves are part of an extensive system of prehistoric land division introduced during the Bronze Age (c.2000- 700 BC). They consist of simple linear stone banks used to mark out discrete territories, some of which are tens of kilometres in extent. The systems are defined by parallel, contour and watershed reaves, dividing the lower land from the grazing zones of the higher moor and defining the watersheds of adjacent river systems. Occupation sites and funerary or ceremonial monuments are often incorporated in, or associated with, reave complexes. Their longevity and their relationship with other monument types provide important information for the diversity of social organisation, land divisions and farming practices amongst prehistoric communities. They show considerable longevity as a monument type, sometimes surviving as fossilised examples in medieval field plans. They are an important element in the existing landscape and, as such, a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Details

This monument includes an irregular shaped enclosure, six stone hut circles, a length of reave and several prospecting pits situated on a gentle east-facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Meavy. The interior of the enclosure measures 120m north to south by 76m east to west and is defined by a rubble wall, up to 2.6m wide and 0.7m high on the north, lynchets standing up to 2m wide and 0.8m high on the east and west, and a 2m wide and 0.4m high reave on the south. Five stone hut circles lie within the enclosure and another is attached to the outer face at the north-east corner, where a boundary bank leads downslope away from the enclosure. The stone hut circles are composed of circular stone and earth banks surrounding an internal area. The internal diameter of the huts varies between 2.9m and 4m with the average being 3.26m. The height of the surrounding wall varies between 0.4m and 0.9m with the average being 0.62m. The length of reave denoting the southern side of the enclosure forms part of the Leather Tor reave. The enclosure is attached to the reave, and this relationship strongly suggests that the reave is earlier in date than the enclosure. Several prospecting pits lie within the enclosure surviving as small rectangular pits with an associated crescent-shaped bank on the downslope side. These pits were excavated by tinners searching for tin ore during the medieval or post-medieval period. A layer of overlying peat has provided a protective blanket for the sensitive underlying archaeological deposits as well as being a source of contemporary environmental information.

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:

20294

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Fleming, A, The Dartmoor Reaves, (1988), 50

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX57SE187,
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
Raymond, F, Single Monument Class Description - Coaxial Field Systems, (1987)

End of official list entry

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