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 alignments or stone rows
consist of upright stones set in single file or in avenues of two or more
parallel lines, up to several hundred metres in length. They are often
physically linked to burial monuments, such as small cairns, cists and
barrows, and are considered to have had an important ceremonial function. The
Dartmoor alignments mostly date from the Late Neolithic period (c.2400-2000
BC). Some eighty examples, most of them on the outer Moor, provide over half
the recorded national population. Due to their comparative rarity and
longevity as a monument type, all surviving examples are considered nationally
important, unless very badly damaged.
Details
The monument includes a stone alignment and cairn situated on a gentle
south facing slope overlooking the valley of the Stannon Brook. The cairn
denotes the northern end of the alignment, measures 7.8m in diameter and
stands up to 0.35m high. The edge of the mound is denoted by a rubble ridge
which is most pronounced on the south western side.
The stone alignment, which is of the double type leads south from the cairn
for 167m and includes at least 46 stones of which 5 are now recumbent. The
average height of all the stones is 0.16m and the distance between the two
rows of stones varies between 0.9m and 1.5m.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28760
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
