Unenclosed stone hut circle settlement, two cairns and section of field system 330m north east of Hemstone Rocks

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.

Despite afforestation, the unenclosed stone hut circle settlement, section of field system and two cairns 330m north east of Hemstone Rocks survive well and contain archaeological structures, features and deposits relating to prehistoric exploitation of this area. The presence of two cairns and a small area of field system in such close proximity to the settlement is unusual and provides information about the integration of domestic, agricultural and ritual practices.

Details

The monument includes seven stone hut circles, two cairns and an area of field system situated on a gentle east facing slope overlooking the valley of the South Teign River. The hut circles survive as banks each surrounding an internal circular area which varies from 8 to 28.26 square metres with the average being 15.72 square metres. The height of the surrounding walls varies between 0.3m and 0.6m, with the average being 0.44m. Two of the huts have visible doorways and the walls are of orthostatic or rubble bank construction. The cairns lie immediately north of the settlement and both were partly excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1901. The western structure is a ring cairn and survives as a 6.2m diameter central area surrounded by a 0.5m wide and 0.4m high bank. The second cairn lies close to the first and survives as an 8m diameter and 0.8m high mound, with two separate pits cut into its surface. These pits are probably the result of the work carried out by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee.

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:

28674

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard, Gerrard, S., SM 28674, (1997)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68SW3.3,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68SW3.1,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68SW3.4,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68SW3.7,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68SW3.2,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68SW3.5,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68SW3.6,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68SW2.2,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX68SW2.1,

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