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 a stone hut circle settlement situated on a gentle north
facing slope overlooking the O Brook. The settlement includes at least one
simple and one agglomerated enclosure and four stone hut circles, which
survive as circular or oval banks each surrounding an internal area which
varies from 9 sq m to 19 sq m, with the average being 12.5 sq m. The heights
of the surrounding walls vary between 0.4m and 0.7m, with the average being
0.5m. Two of the huts have visible doorways, two lie within enclosures and the
other two are connected to each other by a length of rubble walling.
The northern enclosure is of the simple type and includes a 38m long by 37m
wide area defined on three sides by a 1.6m wide and 0.25m wide rubble bank.
The north eastern side of the enclosure is no longer visible but probably
survives as a buried feature.
The southern enclosure is agglomerated and includes two elements. The earliest
enclosure is small measuring 18m long by 13m wide. At a later date a much
larger enclosed area measuring up to 88m long by 60m wide was added to this.
The wall of this enclosure is 1.8m wide with an average height of 0.3m and
survives as an earthwork with occasional protruding orthostats.
Archaeological remains of a later date survive within the monument and these
include a tin prospecting trench and military training slit trenches. The
prospecting trench cuts through the northern enclosure and survives as a
4m wide and 0.9m gully complete with a slight 0.3m high bank on its eastern
edge. The military slit trenches survive within the southern enclosure as
rectangular hollows with the material quarried during their construction
forming a bank around the edge of each pit.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28773
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
