Partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement south of Foggintor Quarries, 1140m ENE of Criptor

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.

Despite limited damage as a result of stone splitting and the construction of field walls, the partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement at Foggintor Quarries, 1140m ENE of Criptor survives well as a visually impressive example of its class. The settlement also displays chronological range, providing evidence for use and reuse in the prehistoric and historic periods.

Details

The monument, which falls into five separate areas of protection, includes a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement together with later historic structures situated on a gentle south facing slope overlooking an unnamed tributary of the River Walkham. The major enclosure is agglomerated and includes two main enclosed areas, each defined by a double faced orthostatic wall with rubble infill. The smaller north western enclosure, which measures 36m east to west by 48m north to south, is earliest and contains two stone hut circles. The larger and more recent enclosure measures 100m east to west by 124m north to south and contains five stone hut circles. Immediately west of the agglomerated enclosure are a further five stone hut circles. Excavations by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1897 revealed that the northern of these huts had been reoccupied by medieval tinners, who had left behind tin slag and pottery. Further west is a small simple enclosure measuring 46m long by up to 37m wide denoted by a 2m wide rubble bank standing up to 0.4m high. Two stone hut circles are associated with this enclosure and a further seven lie a short distance to the north west. North of the agglomerated enclosure is a small stone hut circle associated with a 26m long length of rubble walling, whilst to the south east are two further huts and another length of rubble walling. At one point this rubble wall is cut through by a post-medieval leat. Other evidence for historic use of the monument includes a large number of stone splitting pits and a small shelter built within an earlier stone hut circle. There are a total of 24 stone hut circles within the settlement and they survive as banks each surrounding an oval or circular internal area which varies in size from 4 sq m to 78.5 sq m, with the average being 33 sq m. The heights of the surrounding walls vary between 0.4m and 1.7m, with the average being 0.74m. Eleven of the huts have visible doorways, two have a partition, another a porch and two are rebuilt within earlier huts. Seven of the huts were excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee and the results revealed pottery, cooking stones, charcoal, flint tools and rubbing stones. The post-medieval drystone wall leading across the simple enclosure is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it is included.

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:

24108

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1994), 19
Baring-Gould, S, Transactions of the Devonshire Association in 5th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, Vol. 30, (1898), 99-102

Other
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard, Gerrard, S., (2000)

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