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, two cairns and a post-
medieval route marker stone situated on a gentle west facing slope overlooking
the valley of the River Walkham. The settlement includes an oval enclosure
containing three stone hut circles, with a further nine huts lying outside.
The stone hut circles survive as banks each surrounding a circular internal
area of between 2.6m and 7.5m in diameter, with the average being 5.33m. The
heights of the surrounding walls vary between 0.4m and 0.8m, with the average
being 0.63m. Nine of the huts have visible doorways, one has an annex, another
a courtyard and two have partitions. The stone hut circle at NGR SX 56507449
was in later years converted by the addition of a rubble bank wall, an annex
and straight porch. This is a particularly complex structure displaying
obvious chronological range. The enclosure forming the focus of the
settlement survives as a substantial double faced wall standing up to 1m high
surrounding an area measuring 53m long by 36m wide. A rubble bank leading
between the two northern huts within the enclosure represents a later sub-
division.
The cairn on the south western edge of the settlement measures 5.5m in
diameter and stands up to 1m high. The mound is composed of large rocks and
two edge set stones in its centre represent the remains of a disturbed cist.
The second cairn lies south of the settlement and survives as an oval mound
measuring 4m long by 3.5m wide. A number of edge set stones protruding from
the mound indicates that structural details survive within this cairn.
The route marker stone is one of at least 13 known in this part of the Moor to
have indicated the position of a road leading between Ashburton and Tavistock.
The stone measures 1.66m high and bears the letter A on its eastern face and T
on its western side. It is believed that this stone and its companions were
raised around AD 1700.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28775
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
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
