Stone hut circle 635m south-west of Beardown Man forming part of a dispersed settlement on the eastern slope of Conies Down Tor

Overview

Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument

List Entry Number: 1012572

Date first listed: 02-Mar-1993

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

National Park: DARTMOOR

National Grid Reference: SX 59124 79227

Summary

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

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. Stone hut circles and hut settlements were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers on Dartmoor. They mostly date from the Bronze Age, with the earliest examples on the Moor in this building tradition dating to about 1700 BC. The stone-based round houses consist of low walls or banks enclosing a circular floor area; remains of the turf or thatch roof are not preserved. The huts may occur singly or in small or large groups and may lie in the open or be enclosed by a bank of earth and stone. Although they are common on the Moor, their longevity and their relationship with other monument types 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 circle 635m south-west of Beardown Man survives comparatively well and forms part of a discrete but more extensive dispersed settlement pattern in the upper Cowsic valley, including two large enclosed settlements, four small enclosures with single huts and a number of unenclosed stone hut circles.

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Details

This monument includes a stone hut circle situated on an east facing slope overlooking the River Cowsic and forming part of a dispersed settlement on the lower slopes of Conies Down Tor. The structure is terraced into the hillslope and is composed of stone and earth walling. The interior of the structure measures 3.4m in diameter and is defined by a 1m wide wall standing up to 0.6m high. This structure is situated within the centre of the settlement.

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: 22258

Legacy System: RSM

Sources

Other
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.