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Summary

Fragments of earthwork bank lying on the western flank of Halstock Down adjacent to the military ring road closely associated with a cluster of 34 small clearance cairns. Initially thought to represent a contemporary field system, these bank fragments are now thought to be from the later prehistoric or even historic period and may not indicate a field system.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016634: Cairnfield, irregular aggregate field system, a ring cairn and three round cairns 800m and 920m south of Moorgate Farm

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX 59 SE 22
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX59SE/197
• Old SAM Ref: 28717
• Pastscape: 440888

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Early Iron Age to Modern - 700 BC? to 2013 AD (Between))

Full description

Fleming, A., 1980, The Cairnfields of North-West Dartmoor, 9-12 (Article in Serial). SDV251119.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 149166,22/6/1999 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

at SX59799226. Irregular aggregate field system 800 metres south of Moorgate Farm.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1998, Cairnfield (Worksheet). SDV221149.

Within the area of the prehistoric cairnfield are several substantial lengths of straggly and sinuous prehistoric bank.
Whole area needs careful survey.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360209.

Lidar image shows the fragments of bank as recorded.

Oates, M., 2017, Information about the field system on the western flank of Halstock Down (Personal Comment). SDV360698.

Site was visited and lidar data used to track the so-called field boundaries; thought that these do not represent fields.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England, 1999 scheduling (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

The monument, which falls into two areas, is overlooked by Rowtor and includes at least 29 small mounds forming a cairnfield, an irregular aggregate field system consisting of at least five fields, a stone hut circle, a cairn containing a cist, a ring cairn and two further mounds which may contain burials. Although now lying just outside the Okehampton Range, the area has been intensively used for military training in the past and scores of pits and trenches bear testimony to this activity.
The field system is defined by a series of sinuous low rubble banks which together form at least five fields, which have been added over a period of time. At the northern end of the field system is an oval structure which may represent a broadly contemporary stone hut circle. Within the eastern part of the field system is an 8.3m diameter and 0.5m high cairn. In the centre of this mound is a pit, one side of which is denoted by a large edge set stone which may represent one edge of a much disturbed cist.

National Monument Record, 2018, Pastscape, 18/08/2003 (Website). SDV360651.

Centred SX 59739227. A cluster of 34 small clearance cairns and fragments of an apparently contemporary field system lie on the western flank of Halstock Down adjacent to the military ring road.
The associated field system comprises a number of sinuous banks around 2.0 metres wide and 0.5 metres high forming an irregular and incomplete field pattern over this part of the down. Several of the cairns sit upon or continue the course of these banks and would seem to constitute preliminary clearance to supply material for the enclosure of this area.
Whilst resembling a Bronze Age field system the clearance cairns and banks somewhat uncharacteristically enclose what would have been contemporary sepulchral monuments and should therefore be regarded as later prehistoric or even belonging to the historic period. Similar relationships exist between Bronze Age cairns and aborted enclosures on Homerton Hill (see Pastscape 1393507).
Citing Probert, S. A. J., 18/08/2003 English Heritage Field Investigation.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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