Reasons for Designation
Exmoor is the most easterly of the three main upland areas in the south
western peninsula of England. In contrast to the other two areas, Dartmoor and
Bodmin Moor, there has been no history of antiquarian research and little
excavation of its monuments. However, survey work has confirmed a comparable
richness of archaeological remains with evidence of human exploitation and
occupation from the Mesolithic period to the present day. The well-preserved
and often visible relationships between settlement sites, major land
boundaries, trackways and ceremonial and funerary monuments give insight into
successive changes in the pattern of land-use through time.
Stone alignments or stone rows consist of upright stones set in a single line,
or in two or more parallel lines, up to several hundred metres in length. They
are often sited close to prehistoric burial monuments, such as small cairns
and cists, and to ritual monuments, such as stone circles, and are therefore
considered to have had an important ceremonial function. Stone alignments were
being constructed and used from the Late Neolithic period to the Middle Bronze
Age (c.2500-1000 BC) and provide rare evidence of ceremonial and ritual
practices during these periods. The recorded examples on Exmoor form an
important subgroup of the total population and are considered to be of
national importance.
Details
The monument includes three standing stones, five recumbent stones, a
partly buried stone and the archaeologically sensitive area between and
around these features. The site is located on the west side of the shallow
saddle 450m SSE of Black Barrow. The nine stones are set out in three parallel
rows of three and occupy an area 7m by 9m. The three standing stones form the
northern corner of the site and are all leaning, though earthfast.
The standing stones are of a uniform size 250mm high, 300mm wide and 150mm
thick. The recumbent stones are between 1m and 300mm long and are all about
300mm wide. The partly buried stone is at least 500mm long by 300mm wide.
Two of the standing stones are in erosion hollows.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25227
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
