A cairnfield, unenclosed stone hut circle settlement and boundary stone 380m south west of a ford on the Small Brook

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, 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. Cairnfields are concentrations of three or more cairns sited within close proximity to one another; they may consist of burial cairns or cairns built with stone cleared from the land surface (clearance cairns). Round funerary cairns were constructed during the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC) and consisted of earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. The considerable variation in the size of cairnfields and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Stone hut circles were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers on Dartmoor. They mostly date from the Bronze Age, with the earliest examples dating to about 1700 BC. 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. The cairnfield, unenclosed stone hut circle settlement and boundary stone 380m south west of a ford on the Small Brook survive well and together contain information relating to the exploitation and demarcation of this area during the prehistoric and historic periods. Peat deposits covering much of the monument have preserved the sensitive archaeological deposits and structures, whilst also containing significant palaeoenvironmental information.

Details

The monument, which falls into three areas, includes a cairnfield, unenclosed stone hut circle settlement and post-medieval boundary stone situated on a gentle north west facing slope overlooking Taw Marsh. The cairnfield includes 21 mounds standing between 0.4m and 0.8m high. Sixteen of the cairns are circular in shape and measure between 2.6m and 6.5m in diameter, whilst the remainder are oval and are up to 8m long by 4m wide. One of the cairns is denoted by a well preserved kerb and another has seen partial robbing or early antiquarian excavation. The unenclosed stone hut circle settlement includes three huts which survive as circular or oval banks each surrounding an internal area which varies from 11 to 38 square metres. The height of the surrounding walls varies between 0.25m and 0.35m. Two of the stone hut circles have visible doorways and all three survive as earthworks with occasional protruding orthostats. The boundary stone standing within the monument lies on the South Tawton and Dartmoor Forest parish boundary. The stone measures 1.3m long, 0.4m wide by 0.3m thick, is leaning towards the NNW at 40 degrees from vertical and on it's north eastern face the letter T has been carved.

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:

28724

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
MPP Fieldwork by S. Gerrard, Gerrard, S., (1998)

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