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.
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.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28674
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
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
