Partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 350m south west of Horn's Cross

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.

The partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 350m south west of Horn's Cross survives well and contains important environmental and archaeological information. The settlement forms part of a group lying close to the substantial Dartmeet coaxial field system and will therefore provide contrasting information to that available from settlements associated with these fields. The reuse of a stone hut circle as a cairn is of interest and there appear to be an unusually large number of such cairns on Holne Moor.

Details

The monument includes a stone hut circle settlement and cairn situated on a gentle north facing slope of Holne Ridge overlooking the O Brook. The settlement includes an agglomerated enclosure and three stone hut circles, which survive as circular banks each surrounding an internal area which varies from 7 sq m to 15.9 sq m, with the average being 10.7 sq m. The heights of the surrounding walls vary between 0.4m and 0.8m, with the average being 0.63m. One of the huts has a visible doorway and abuts the enclosure walling, one underlies a later cairn and another lies outside the enclosures. The cairn measures 7.6m in diameter and stands up to 1m high. The agglomerated enclosure includes two elements. The wall of the eastern enclosure is substantial, measuring 2.2m wide by up to 0.9m high. This wall is composed of large rocks which are coursed in places and surrounds an area measuring 30m by 20m. Two of the stone hut circles lie in this enclosure. The second enclosure is much slighter in character being defined by a 1m wide orthostatic wall standing up to 0.6m high. The western enclosure is cut by two later leats which form part of the complex leat system carrying water to tinworks on and beyond Holne Moor. Within the monument, the southern leat is 0.6m wide, 0.15m deep and the upcast thrown up during its construction forms a 1m wide and 0.1m high bank on the downslope side. The northern leat is more substantial, measuring 1.7m wide and 0.7m deep. The associated bank is 1.5m wide and 0.5m high.

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:

28771

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
RCHME, SX67SE5, 1997,

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