Enclosure with hut circles to the north-east of Piles Copse

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 is a well-preserved enclosure with hut circles, forming an integral part of the concentration of settlement along this stretch of the Erme Valley. 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.2500-500BC) though earlier and later ones also exist. This enclosure, on a steep west-facing slope overlooking the River Erme, is approximately 45m. wide and 65m. long, with a drystone wall 0.3m. high and up to 2m. thick and a probable entrance at the south-east. There are two hut circles joined to the inside of the east wall, one 5m. in diameter with walls up to 2m. thick and 0.3m. high, the other 10m. in diameter with walls up to 3m. thick and 0.7m. high. Immediately outside the enclosure wall on the west side there are two hut circles built on a slight terrace. They are 5m. and 10m. diameter with walls up to 3m. thick and 0.3m. to 0.5m. high. The site is covered by dense bracken up to waist height.

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:

10529

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
SX66SW-016,

End of official list entry

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