Partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 420m north west and 440m west of Horn's Cross

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 partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 420m north west and 440m west of Horn's Cross survives well and contains important environmental and archaeological information. The settlement lies adjacent to the substantial Dartmeet coaxial field system and will therefore provide contrasting information to that available from settlements associated with these fields.

Details

The monument, which falls into two areas of protection, includes a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement situated on a gentle west facing slope overlooking the O Brook. The settlement includes at least three enclosures and 18 stone hut circles. The northern area of protection contains two enclosures, at least 16 stone hut circles, a cairn and a number of prospecting pits. The stone hut circles survive as circular or oval banks each surrounding an internal area which varies from 7 sq m to 24.6 sq m, with the average being 14.9 sq m. The heights of the surrounding walls vary between 0.3m and 0.8m, with the average being 0.53m. Ten of the huts have visible doorways, four abut lengths of enclosure walling and one underlies a later cairn. This cairn measures 4.4m in diameter and stands up to 0.8m high. Only part of the largest enclosure is visible, but the linear distribution of the hut circles within its vicinity strongly suggests that these buildings may have once been linked by a palisade or similar structure which now partly survives as a buried feature. The two smaller enclosures are more complete and in particular, the northern one possesses a very fine entrance measuring 0.7m wide and defined on both sides by large edge set slabs standing up to 0.75m high. The second area of protection contains the southernmost enclosure and two further 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:

28772

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
RCHME, , Holne Moor Survey carried out for DNPA, (1966)
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - The North in Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1993), 191
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - The North in Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1993), 191

End of official list entry

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