Stone hut circle 215m south east of Hartland Tor

Overview

Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument

List Entry Number: 1021337

Date first listed: 22-Jun-2004

Location

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

National Park: DARTMOOR

National Grid Reference: SX 64373 79834

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 215m south east of Hartland Tor survives very well and originally formed part of a coaxial field system on Hartland Tor. The building is visually impressive and will contain information relating to the lives of the people who used this area during the prehistoric period.

History

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

Details

The monument comprises a stone hut circle situated on a south facing slope of Hartland Tor overlooking the valley of the East Dart River. The hut survives as a circular double orthostatic and coursed wall surrounding an internal area measuring 8.5m in diameter. The wall itself is 2m wide and stands up to 0.8m high. A south east facing gap represents the site of the original entrance.

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: 34496

Legacy System: RSM

Sources

Other
SX 67 NW 92, NMR, English Heritage, NMR Monument Report, (2003)

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.