A cairn cemetery on Long Ridge

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. Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in form and 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. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved and most dense concentrations of round cairns in south- western Britain.

The cairn cemetery on Long Ridge survives well and contains archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. It provides a valuable insight into Bronze Age funerary and ritual activity as well as territorial control on the Moor.

Details

The monument, which falls into five areas, includes eight round cairns and a cist situated on Long Ridge, locally known as Langridge, overlooking the valley of the River North Teign. These mounds form a cairn cemetery situated between two broadly contemporary stone hut circle settlements. Six of the mounds are circular in shape, vary in diameter between 4.1m and 6m and stand between 0.5m and 0.7m high. The remaining two mounds are oval and the largest of these measures 6m long by 4m wide and stands up 0.7m high. One cairn contains a cist which measures 0.83m square by up to 0.47m deep. The capstone, which once covered the cist, now lies 0.7m NNW of the cist. At least three of the cairns are partly surrounded by edge set stones indicating the presence of kerbs.

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:

28664

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991)

Other
MPP Fieldwork by S.Gerrard, Gerrard, S., (1997)
Probert, S.A.J., SX68NW14, (1991)
Probert, S.A.J., SX68NE15, (1991)
Probert, S.A.J., SX68NW65, (1991)
Probert, S.A.J., SX68NW15, (1991)
Probert, S.A.J., SX68NW64, (1991)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.