Part of Penn Moor contour reave incorporating two stone hut circles and an enclosed hut settlement

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. Elaborate complexes of fields and field boundaries are some of the major features of the Dartmoor landscape. The reaves are part of an extensive system of prehistoric land division introduced during the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They consist of simple linear stone banks used to mark out discrete territories, some of which are tens of kilometres in extent. The systems are defined by parallel, contour and watershed reaves, dividing the lower land from the grazing zones of the higher moor and defining the watersheds of adjacent river systems. Occupation sites and funerary or ceremonial monuments are often incorporated in, or associated with, reave complexes. Their longevity and their relationship with other monument types provide important information on the diversity of social organisation, land divisions and farming practices amongst prehistoric communities. They show considerable longevity as a monument type, sometimes surviving as fossilised examples in medieval field plans. They are an important element in the existing landscape and, as such, a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

The Penn Moor contour reave is an important element of the south-west Dartmoor reave system.

Details

This contour reave, which runs in an almost straight line across the slope of Penn Moor, is some 500m in length and runs from a point east of Rook watershed reave in the west to Ford Brook in the east. It is considered likely that it continued eastwards for a further 1.3km to the River Yealm but its probable course is overlain by a newtake wall, beneath which the remains of the reave would lie. The reave is an important element of the south-west Dartmoor reave system. This part of the reave runs for some 340m eastwards from a gap where the reave has been demolished to Ford Brook. It incorporates an enclosed hut settlement and two stone hut circles are attached to the reave. The reave consists of a bank of smallish boulders with occasional large natural boulders and is up to 3m in width and 0.75m in height. The enclosed hut settlement, known as Penn Moor Settlement, consists of a sub-circular bank enclosing at least eight stone hut circles. Two further hut circles lie to the east of the enclosed settlement, attached to the south side of the reave.

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:

10782

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Fleming, A, The Dartmoor Reaves, (1988), Fig 5

Other
SX66SW-096, SX66SW-096, (1990)
SX66SW-141, 142, 229, 240, SX66SW-141, 142, 229, 240, (1990)

End of official list entry

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