A partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 330m south west of Hen Tor

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.

The partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 330m south west of Hen Tor survives comparatively well and together with a rich array of nearby features forms part of a multi-period archaeological landscape.

Details

This monument, which falls into three separate areas of protection, includes a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement situated on both sides of the Hentor Brook on a gentle north west facing slope of Hen Tor. The enclosure lies on the northern side of the Hentor Brook and survives as a 55m long by 40m wide sub-rectangular area defined by a 2m wide and 0.5m high rubble bank with large boulders and occasional orthostats. The enclosure contains two stone hut circles and a third is linked to the circuit wall. A length of rubble bank leads north from the enclosure and to the east of this is a stone hut circle, which is itself attached to another short length of curved rubble bank. On the southern side of the Hentor Brook are a cluster of three stone hut circles, two of which are joined to each other. Three distinct lengths of rubble bank lead away from this group of huts and these may represent the remnants of another enclosure which survives largely beneath peat deposits. The third element of the monument is an isolated stone hut circle which lies downstream on the southern side of the Hentor Brook. Other archaeological features surviving within the vicinity of this monument are the subject of separate schedulings.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

28792

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1994), 122

Other
Thackray, C., The Upper Plym Valley: The management of an historic landscape, 1994, Archaeological Site Inventory
Thackray, C., The Upper Plym Valley: The management of an historic landscape, 1994, Archaeological Site Inventory
Thackray, C., The Upper Plym Valley: The management of an historic landscape, 1994, Archaeological Site Inventory
Thackray, C., The Upper Plym Valley: The management of an historic landscape, 1994, Archaeological Site Inventory
Thackray, C., The Upper Plym Valley: The management of an historic landscape, 1994, Archaeological Site Inventory

End of official list entry

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