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 14 standing stones, a recumbent stone and the
archaeologically sensitive areas between and around those features. The site
is located on the gentle south east facing slope of Almsworthy Common 560m
south west of Chetsford Bridge. The alignment is made up of four rows, each
with a slightly different orientation but generally aligned north west to
south east. Each row has three or four stones in it with the longest row of
four stones on the north east side extending for 30m. The monument covers
0.09ha. The standing stones are between 100mm and 700mm high, 200mm to 700mm
wide and 100mm to 250mm thick. The recumbent stone lies on the north side of
the setting and is 400mm long, 300mm wide and 120mm thick.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25229
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
