Stone hut circle and associated walling 780m WNW of Longaford Tor

Overview

Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument

List Entry Number: 1020877

Date first listed: 12-Mar-2003

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

National Park: DARTMOOR

National Grid Reference: SX 60826 78091

Summary

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

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 stone hut circle and associated walling 780m WNW of Longaford Tor survives well and will contain information relating to the monument and the surrounding landscape. This stone hut circle lies close to one of the largest prehistoric settlements on Dartmoor and thus provides a marked contrast to its neighbour. Stone hut circle settlements containing only one building are relatively rare on the moor.

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Details

This monument includes a stone hut circle and three lengths of bank situated within Longaford Newtake on a south-facing slope overlooking the West Dart River. The stone hut circle survives as a 1.3m wide bank standing up to 0.4m high surrounding a 4m diameter circular internal area. A south-facing gap in the hut wall may represent an original doorway. The associated lengths of bank which lead north, south and east from the hut are up to 1.7m wide and 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: 34452

Legacy System: RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX67NW272, (1994)

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.