Reasons for Designation
Bodmin Moor, the largest of the Cornish granite uplands, has long been
recognised to have exceptional preservation of archaeological remains. The
Moor has been the subject of detailed archaeological survey and is one of the
best recorded upland landscapes in England. The extensive relict landscapes of
prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval date provide direct evidence for human
exploitation of the Moor from the earliest prehistoric period onwards. The
well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, field
systems, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains
provides significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land
use through time. Stone hut circles were the dwelling places of prehistoric
farmers on the Moor, mostly dating from the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). The
stone-based round houses survive as low walls or banks enclosing a circular
floor area; remains of a turf or thatch roof are not preserved. The huts occur
singly or in small or large groups and may occur in the open or be enclosed by
a bank of earth and stone. Although they are common on the Moor, their
longevity of use and their relationship with other monument types provides
important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming
practices among prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative
of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.
Details
The monument includes a group of three stone hut circles situated close to the
north-east edge of Twelve Men's Moor on eastern Bodmin Moor, near other
broadly contemporary hut circles settlements, field systems and funerary
cairns on Twelve Men's Moor and the Hawkstor Downs.
The hut circles are arranged as a triangular group with two adjoining, via a
small annexe, on an ENE-WSW axis and a third hut circle situated 1.75m north
of the south-western hut circle. The northern hut circle survives with a wall
of heaped rubble, up to 2m wide and 0.45m high, defining a circular internal
area 8.3m in diameter and levelled into the hillslope. A 5m wide break in the
wall's ESE circuit contains the hut circle entrance but has been enlarged by
relatively recent stone-robbing. A slight scarp, 0.1m high, survives across
the break, marking the downhill edge of the levelled hut circle interior. A
shallow, turf-covered ditch, up to 2m wide and 0.1m deep, is visible around
the wall's western and northern sectors.
The south-western hut circle survives with similar rubble walling, up to 1.7m
wide and 0.3m high, around a levelled internal area 6.75m in diameter. A 2.5m
wide break in the wall's eastern sector marks the entrance. This hut circle
also has a slight ditch, 2m wide and 0.1m deep, around its western and south-
western sectors. The entrance leads directly into a sub-rectangular annexe
built against the hut circle's south-eastern sector. The annexe is also
constructed with rubble walling, up to 1.25m wide and 0.3m high, along the
south-west and south-east sides of its levelled plot, which measures 6m NE-SW
by 3.75m NW-SE. The eastern corner of the annexe meets the wall of the
group's south-eastern hut circle. The south-eastern hut circle is constructed
in a similar manner to the other two, its rubble wall, up to 1.5m wide and
0.2m high, defining a levelled internal area 4.5m in diameter.
Some relatively recent stone robbing has reduced the wall along the east and
south-eastern sectors, though the interior's levelling scarp remains to define
its perimeter. The southern sector of its wall adjoins the eastern corner of
the annexe to the hut circle centred to the WSW, though the walls defining the
interiors of those two hut circles are separated by a clear gap of 2.2m.
This monument forms one of at least six small groups of hut circles dispersed
along the contour from the south-east slope of Hawks Tor to the saddle between
Trewortha and Kilmar Tors on Twelve Men's Moor. These hut circles are located
close to two larger unenclosed hut circle settlements, one on Twelve Men's
Moor 105m west of this monument, the other on Hawks Tor with an associated
field system, 500m to the north-east. Over a dozen broadly contemporary
funerary cairns, several with burial cists, are also located on Twelve Men's
Moor, one of which is situated 65m south of this monument.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
15217
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
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
