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.
This cairn, high on northern Harford Moor, is a well-preserved example and
occupies a prominent position on the brow of the hill. Its relationship to
other monuments of different types indicates the wealth of evidence relating
to the ritual side of prehistoric life on this part of the Moor.
Details
Many examples of prehistoric funerary monuments are preserved on Dartmoor,
mostly dating to the Bronze Age (c.2500 - 500 BC). To celebrate or
commemorate the dead, mounds of earth or stone were piled in a roughly
hemispherical shape over the burial, which was sometimes contained in a
small rectangular structure, or cist, made of stone slabs. Some monuments
also include kerbstones marking the outer edge of the mound and a
surrounding ditch.
This cairn, high on northern Harford Moor, is 9m in diameter and 0.7m high
with a retaining circle, of which seven stones survive, giving a maximum
diameter of 11.5m. A modern shelter has been built on top of the mound,
using cairn stones.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
10520
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals 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
