Enclosure south of Lower Hartor 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. This enclosure is a well-preserved example with hut circles. It provides important insight into farming practices on the Moor during the Prehistoric period.

Details

The Dartmoor landscape includes many discrete plots of land enclosed by stone walls or earth and stone banks, which acted as stock pens or protected areas for crop growing. Some of them were subdivided to accommodate hut dwellings for farmers and herdsmen. Many examples date to the Bronze Age (c.2500-500 BC), though earlier and later ones also exist. This enclosure lies on a south-west facing slope above the River Plym, south of Lower Hartor Tor. It is sub-oval in shape and measures c.110m by 84m and is defined by a bank of large stones and earth up to 2m in width and 1m in height. There is a possible entrance to the north-east. There are three huts within the enclosure, ranging from 8m to 10m in diameter, with walls 2m in thickness and up to 0.5m in height, faced on the inner side. Entrances in the walls face south or east. A cairn lies outside the enclosure to the south- west.

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:

10686

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County SMR SX66NW-036,

End of official list entry

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