Prehistoric enclosed settlement known as Broadun Ring, 500m north west of Hartland Tor

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. Within the landscape of Dartmoor there are many discrete plots of land enclosed by stone walls or banks of stone and earth, most of which date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC), though earlier and later examples also exist. They were constructed as stock pens or as protected areas for crop growing and were sometimes subdivided to accommodate stock and hut circle dwellings for farmers and herdsmen. The size and form of enclosures may therefore vary considerably depending on their particular function. Their variation in form, longevity and relationship to other monument classes 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 later reuse of the enclosure, partial excavation of some of the stone hut circles and some limited stone splitting activity, the prehistoric enclosed settlement known as Broadun Ring, 500m north west of Hartland Tor survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to this area during the prehistoric period. The enclosure has a very substantial bank and contains an unusually high number of conjoined stone hut circles. The settlement forms part of a discrete cluster of broadly similar enclosures.

Details

The monument comprises a prehistoric enclosed settlement known as Broadun Ring situated on a south east facing slope overlooking the valley of the East Dart River. The enclosure survives as an oval shaped area denoted by a boulder faced wall measuring up to 6m wide and standing up to 1.2m high. The interior of the enclosure measures 119m north-south by 79m east-west and contains at least 13 stone hut circles varying between 3.5m and 8.5m in internal diameter. A gap in the south eastern length of the enclosure wall may represent an original entrance. Most of the huts within the enclosure have visible doorways and six are attached to the inner face of the enclosure. The largest hut within the settlement has a rectangular platform built within its interior. Some of the huts appear to have been refurbished, suggesting reuse perhaps in the historic period. Ten of the huts within the settlement were partially excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1893 and this work revealed hearthstones, charcoal, flints and pot boilers. A small number of pits within the enclosure represent the site of historic stone splitting activity. A drystone wall leading alongside the inner face of the western side of the enclosure bank stands up to 1.5m high and represents a post-medieval field boundary.

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:

34493

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991), 38-39

Other
MPP Fieldwork by S. Gerrard, Gerrard, S., (2003)

End of official list entry

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