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Summary

Unenclosed hut circle settlement north-west of Horn's Cross with at least 16 hut circles, one contemporary structure and a solitary enclosure. The huts are all terraced into the slope to provide level interiors with diameters in the range of 3.2 metres to 6.1 metres. Most appear to be relatively poorly constructed with spread boulder walls and no discernible entrances. The associated enclosure, centred SX 66547124, covers 0.1 hectares and contains one of the huts and, in the south-east corner, a small sub-rectangular platform 5.3 metres north to south by 3.0 metres. An unusual feature of this enclosure is the presence of a narrow entrance flanked by two upright slabs in the centre of the east side.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020185: Partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 420m north west and 440m west of Horn's Cross

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SE109
• National Monuments Record: SX67SE115
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443176
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443194
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SE/152
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SE/160
• Old SAM Ref: 28772

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• UNENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2373-2374 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX67SE109 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV152217.

(Visited 21/7/1977) SX 66717126. This open settlement consists of three type I hut circles and lies on a steep well drained, north west facing slope at 365 metres above OD. The huts, average internal diameter 4.0 metres, have walls which average 1.2 metres thick and are constructed of small boulders.
One of the huts is cut back into the hillside and in fair condition; the second incorporates a military slit trench and the third is very poor. There is no evidence of cultivation in the immediate vicinity but the parallel reave system (SX 67 SE 92) lies 100 metres to the north east. Divorced Survey at 1:10 000 scale on PFD.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX67SE115 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV149699.

(Visited 06/07/1979) Centred at SX 66597124 is a group of seven unenclosed hut circles, situated at about 350 metres OD on a slight west slope. All are in moorland and levelled into the hillside but are in ruinous condition so that it is difficult to determine their types. The internal diameters vary from 3.0 metres to 4.5 metres, with walling from 1.0 metre to 1.6 metres wide and 0.5 metres high.
Generally the surviving construction consists of piled stones with occasional upright slabs. Only one hut has a defined entrance; on the south-east side.
The associated field boundaries are also in poor condition, sometimes banked, usually rickle of stone; all are fragmentary and occupy about 3.0 hectares. Some stone robbing may be due to construction of the local leat, but the impression is that of robbing in antiquity, as if they pre-date the reave system and its huts (SX 67 SE 92).
Discovered during field work. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Fleming, A., 1979, The Dartmoor Reaves. Boundary Patterns and Behaviour Patterns in the Second Millennium BC, 127 (Article in Serial). SDV258579.

This settlement may be seen as an example of a summer site converted to a permanent site.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Two hut circles seen on aerial photographs at SX 66607132 and SX 66627127, and four possible hut circles at SX 66577126, SX 66677120, SX 66627136 and SX 66647133 visible on 1946 aerial photograph. One possible hut circle visible on 1946 aerial photograph.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152256-68 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

See related hut circle records for details.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 190, Map 60, Figure 60.11 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Series of huts (at least 16) and fragments of enclosure walling; it is very likely that differential peat growth has buried some features entirely. All the huts are small and consist of low circular banks well dispersed over the hillside. There are also tinners' pits in the vicinity, which are similar in size to the huts. Where visible, entrances are consistently on the southern (along the slope).

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 1997, Holne Moor, Dartmoor, Devonshire. A Landscape Survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (Report - Survey). SDV173671.

(Visited 28/02/1996) Centred SX 66597127. Eight hut circles, one contemporary structure and a solitary enclosure lie on the moderate west-facing slope above the right bank of the O Brook. The huts (see related records), are all terraced into the slope to provide level interiors with diameters in the range of 3.2 metres to 6.1 metres. Most appear to be relatively poorly constructed with spread boulder walls and no discernible entrances. The associated enclosure, centred SX 66547124, covers 0.1 hectares and contains one of the huts and, in the south-east corner, a small sub-rectangular platform 5.3 metres north to south by 3.0 metres. An unusual feature of this enclosure is the presence of a narrow entrance flanked by two upright slabs in the centre of the east side.
The field boundaries noted in 1979 are associated with an extension of the settlement (SX 67 SE 109) which lies immediately to the east.
Also SX67SE109 (previously recorded as a separate settlement)
Centred SX 6669 7125. Seven hut circles and traces of contemporary field boundaries lie on the moderate west facing slope above the right bank of the O Brook. The huts (see associated records) are all terraced into the slope to provide level interiors in the range of 2.5 metres to 4.0 metres. There are no identifiable entrances.
The field boundaries are incompletely preserved and form no identifiable pattern.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Hut circles shown on survey.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Settlement visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

'Hut circles' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1020185 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

The monument, which falls into two areas of protection, includes a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement situated on a gentle west facing slope overlooking the O Brook. The settlement includes at least three enclosures and 18 stone hut circles. The northern area of protection contains two enclosures, at least 16 stone hut circles, a cairn and a number of prospecting pits. The stone hut circles survive as circular or oval banks each surrounding an internal area which varies from 7 square metres to 24.6 square metres, with the average being 14.9 square metres. The heights of the surrounding walls vary between 0.3 metres and 0.8 metres, with the average being 0.53 metres. Ten of the huts have visible doorways, four abut lengths of enclosure walling and one underlies a later cairn. This cairn measures 4.4 metres in diameter and stands up to 0.8 metres high. Only part of the largest enclosure is visible, but the linear distribution of the hut circles within its vicinity strongly suggests that these buildings may have once been linked by a palisade or similar structure which now partly survives as a buried feature. The two smaller enclosures are more complete and in particular, the northern one possesses a very fine entrance measuring 0.7 metres wide and defined on both sides by large edge set slabs standing up to 0.75 metres high.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7100 - Holne Moor Survey

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