Two stone hut circles 810m west of Siward's or Nun's Cross forming part of an unenclosed stone hut circle 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. 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.

Despite evidence of considerable tin mining within the immediate vicinity, the two stone hut circles 810m west of Siward's or Nun's Cross survive comparatively well and contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument, the economy of the inhabitants and the landscape in which they lived. As such, the hut circles provide a valuable insight into the nature of Bronze Age occupation on the south western part of the Moor. Only two unenclosed stone hut circle settlements survive in the Newleycombe Lake valley and these huts form part of the eastern settlement.

Details

This monument includes two stone hut circles situated on the northern edge of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement, lying on a west facing slope overlooking Newleycombe Lake. Both stone hut circles are terraced into the hillside and are composed of stone and earth walls surrounding circular internal areas. The interior of the northern building measures 6m in diameter and the 2m wide wall stands up to 0.8m high. The doorway survives as a 1m wide gap in the surrounding wall, is lined with slabs on the west and faces south. A 0.6m high and 1.4m wide lynchet links this to the southern hut. The interior of the southern hut measures 6m in diameter and is defined by a 1.6m wide wall standing up to 0.7m high, except on the west where the edge of the building is defined by a 0.4m high scarp. This monument lies within an area which has been extensively mined for tin, and earthworks associated with this activity survive nearby.

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:

22387

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1988)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX57SE37,

End of official list entry

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