Two stone hut circles and a length of walling 240m south west of Yellowmeade Farm

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 two stone hut circles and length of walling 240m south west of Yellowmeade Farm survive comparatively well and represent an important source of environmental and archaeological information. The settlement is one of at least four similar sites in this part of the Moor and overlooks the well known broadly contemporary ritual complex at Merrivale.

Details

The monument includes two stone hut circles and a length of walling situated on a gentle west facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Walkham. The interior of the western stone hut circle measures 6m in diameter and is surrounded by a 1.5m wide double orthostatic wall standing up to 0.55m high. A south west facing gap in the wall may represent an original doorway. The eastern building has seen limited damage as a result of stone robbing for the adjacent historic wall, but despite this, the orthostatic hut wall stands up to 0.75m high by 1.6m wide and surrounds an internal area measuring 6m in diameter. A 1m wide orthostatic wall standing up to 0.8m high leads from the western stone hut circle in a westerly direction before turning south westward and then south. This wall probably represents the visible remains of an enclosure associated with the stone hut circles.

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:

28777

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1994)

Other
National Archaeological Record, SX57SE18,

End of official list entry

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