Three stone hut circles 780m SSW of Venford Reservoir dam

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 three stone hut circles 780m SSW of Venford Reservoir dam survive well and contain environmental and archaeological information about their occupation and use. The settlement forms part of a group lying close to the substantial Dartmeet coaxial field system and will therefore provide contrasting evidence to that available from the settlements directly associated with the fields.

Details

The monument includes three stone hut circles, a wedge and groove cut boulder and a short length of the Holne Moor Leat situated on a gentle north facing slope on Holne Moor, overlooking Venford Reservoir. The stone hut circles survive as orthostatic walls each surrounding a circular internal area measuring between 3m and 4.6m in diameter. The surrounding walls measure up to 0.75m high and two of the huts have visible doorways. The wedge and groove cut boulder is 2.2m long by up to 0.95m wide and 0.9m high. On the upper surface at least eight small rectangular slots are visible, whilst on the western side there are a further nine slots. Part of the western side of the stone had already been removed before the stone was abandoned. It is considered that this form of stone cutting dates to the period before 1800 AD. A short length of the Holne Moor Leat crosses the monument. This leat is also known as Hamlyn's Leat and was cut in the early part of the 19th century to supply water for textile mills in Buckfastleigh. Within the monument the leat measures 1.3m wide by 0.4m deep and has relatively steep sides. The associated bank upcast during its construction measures 1.3m wide and up to 0.3m 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:

22371

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: Holne Moor Survey Source Date: 1997 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: 1:2500 plan
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard, Gerrard, S., (2000)

End of official list entry

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