Enclosure with hut circles north of Scad Brook

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 provides 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. The enclosure north of Scad Brook 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 to 500 BC), though earlier and later ones exist. This sub-circular enclosure lies immediately on the northern bank of the Scad Brook and is approximately 1.25 ha in area; its earth and stone bank is continuous except on the southern side, along the brook bank. The enclosure contains eleven hut circles ranging from 3.5 m. to 10 m. in diameter, with entrances facing south-east and many of the walls standing up to a metre high. The most complete hut has been excavated and re-instated with walls faced with orthostats and an entrance with jambs.

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:

10553

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County SMR SX65NE-023,

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