Two cairns with two cists and a stone hut circle on the east facing slope of Lakehead Hill forming part of a ritual complex

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.

As well as the round cairns within this ritual complex on Lakehead Hill, there are two stone alignments and at least three cists. Together with other funerary sites in the vicinity, this area contains considerable evidence for ritual activity in this part of Bronze Age Dartmoor.

Details

The monument, which falls into three areas of protection, includes two cairns, each with a cist and a stone hut circle lying on a gentle east facing slope on Lakehead Hill. The northern cairn survives as an 18m diameter mound standing up to 0.6m high. On the eastern, western and southern sides of the mound several edge set stones indicate the presence of a kerb. The profile of the mound may suggest the survival of an inner ring bank, although this may be the result of partial early excavation or robbing. The centre of the mound has certainly been disturbed and in one of the resultant hollows there is a substantial cist, denoted by two edge slabs standing 0.75m apart and up to 0.95m high. The southern cairn survives as a small 4.5m diameter mound standing up to 0.2m high. In the centre of the cairn is a three sided cist, orientated NNW to SSE, measuring internally 1.1m long by 0.75m wide and 0.42m deep. When this cist was part excavated in 1914 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee a pit containing charcoal was found. The stone hut circle survives as a 4.4m diameter circular area surrounded by a 1.6m wide orthostatic wall standing up to 0.4m high. A south facing gap in the surrounding wall may represent a doorway. This building was part excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1896, and amongst the finds were charcoal, three flint flakes and Bronze Age pottery sherds.

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:

28688

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991), 51
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - The Second Millennium B.C. in Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, Vol. 5, (1997), 184

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX67NW30, (1994)

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