Round cairn on Soussons Down, 1.2km north west of Soussons

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.

Despite partial excavation and afforestation of the surrounding area, the round cairn on Soussons Down, 1.2km north west of Soussons, survives well and contains archaeological and environmental information relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was built. The ridge location of the mound suggests that it may together with others in the area have also been a significant early territorial marker.

Details

The monument includes a round cairn situated on a ridge separating the valleys of the East Dart and West Webburn Rivers. The cairn measures 9.7m in diameter and stands up to 0.6m high. A pit in the centre of the mound represents the site of an unsuccessful partial excavation carried out by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in around 1897.

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:

28697

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX67NE37, (1981)

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.

Print the official list entry