Three stone hut circles 300m south east of Headland Warren 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 three stone hut circles 300m south east of Headland Warren Farm survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to this area during the prehistoric period. The proximity of the settlement to the well known broadly contemporary one at Grimspound enhances the significance and potential of this settlement.

Details

The monument includes three stone hut circles and a length of rubble walling situated on a gentle south west-facing slope of Hookney Tor overlooking the valley of the West Webburn River. The northern stone hut circle survives as a 6.4m diameter internal area surrounded by a 1.6m wide earthwork bank with occasional protruding stones standing up to 0.7m high. The central stone hut circle survives as an 8m diameter platform with a single edge-set slab on the western side, whilst the southern hut measures 6.4m in diameter internally and is denoted on the east by a 0.8m wide single orthostatic wall standing up to 0.8m high. The western sector of this building survives as a 2m wide scarp standing up to 0.8m high. The boundary wall between the two southern huts is of orthostatic construction and measures up to 2m wide and 0.6m high.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

34503

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
NMR Monument Report, SX68SE371, (2001)

End of official list entry

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