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Summary

An irregularly shaped hut circle enclosure of probable Bronze Age date is recorded from field investigation and aerial survey on the north-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor, north of the Saddlesborough Reave. The settlement comprises two conjoined enclosures defined by a stony bank, incorporating the earthworks of 2 presumably contemporary hut circles.
The earthworks are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2016.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002517: Pounds and hut circles N of Saddlesborough

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE92
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439370
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/170
• Old SAM County Ref: 428

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223 Vp 2 5140-5141 12-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352279.

Curvilinear stony banks are visible as earthworks.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2299 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/58/6399, RAF/58/6399 F64 0382-0383 02-JUL-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363068.

Curvilinear stony banks are visible as earthworks.

Cambridge University, 1967, CUC/AQX, CUC/AQX 49 (Aerial Photograph). SDV355237.

Price, D. G., 1973, Ancient fields on Shaugh Moor, 89 (Article in Serial). SDV147593.

A pound containing one hut circle, and two hut circles outside the pound.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX5563, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV138651.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX56SE92 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV150906.

(28/08/1980) The two enclosures are centred at SX55796343 and SX55806341, both formed by rubble and boulder walling 1.4 metres wide and 0.5 metres high and broadly as described by Smith.
The hut the northern enclosure is probably of Type 1. The hut in the southern enclosure and the free standing ones to the north-west and northeast are Type 2. Surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D.

Smith, K., 1980, Typescript notes and plan of Shaugh Moor (Un-published). SDV138646.

A double enclosure 34.0 metres south (uphill) of enclosure. It is in two parts, divided along an east-west axis by a length of crude walling composed of large blocks. The walling of the whole enclosure includes many earth-fast boulders, and although the northern (downslope) enclosure has been cleared of small clitter with only a few boulders remaining, the southern enclosure was not cleared and is still thickly strewn with boulders and small stones. It seems probable that the southern annexe was a subsequent addition with internal dimensions of 15.0 metres from north to south and 27.0 metres from east to west to a pre-existing enclosure 22.0 metres from north to south and 18.0 meter from east to west. There is no apparent entrance and soil has accumulated within the northern enclosure against the inner face of the downslope wall, giving the enclosure the appearance of a cultivated terrace against the boulder strewn hillside. Within the north-west angle of the enclosure is a single small hut with no visible entrance and a floor that is sunk below the general internal level of the enclosure. A second hut occurs outside the southeast corner of the lower enclosure to which it is linked by a short length of walling. The hut entrance is orientated west and would have been sheltered by the enclosure wall.

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

Agglomerated enclosure of three elements visible containing two attached hut circles: another lies outside to the west.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 99-101 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Enclosure B; one of seven enclosures with associated hut circles in the area. It is a double enclosure; the upper section of which is oddly shaped, due to the very stony ground that it has been constructed on. A small hut circle (4.7 meters in diameter) opens into it and another hut circle (3.5 meters in diameter) is built across the lower (northern) circuit. Other details: Map 48, 3.

Fletcher, M. + Probert, S., 1998, Shaugh Moor, Devon: An Archaeological Survey (Report - Survey). SDV343481.

(03/12/1997) Centred at SX55806343. Two small linked enclosures are situated on a steep north-facing hillside amidst clitter. Wedge and drill split stones and shallow quarry pits testify to the intensive surface stone quarrying in this area. Two hut circles incorporated into the walling of the enclosures most probably pre-date it; two further hut circles are freestanding. See associated records.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5563 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

Curvilinear stony banks are visible as earthworks.

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

Combined enclosures with two integrated hut circles and two isolated hut circles (one to the east of the enclosures, and one to the west).

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Map object based on this Source.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5563 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

Curvilinear banks are identifiable as earthworks.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, SM29 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 08/09/2019. The site description is good. A well-defined linked enclosure with an antiquity star sited in the south enclosure just south of the enclosure dividing wall.The boundary is 100% covered in high brackenbut the internal area is less densely covered. The internal area has scattered low height bracken and small patches of low height western gorse with grass between which is lightly grazed. The site is stable. Photos taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, SM29 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 08/09/2019. 2 X photos taken. 1) looking north showing the northern half taken from the dividing wall 2) looking south showing the southern half taken from the dividing wall

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Earthwork banks measuring from circa 1.5 to 4m wide are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 and digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2016, defining two irregularly shaped conjoined enclosures, circa 23 and 31m across respectively.
The enclosures are interpreted as probably of Bronze Age date.
The enclosure bank incorporates two smaller circular enclosed banked features up to circa 7m in diameter, one on the north-west edge of the northern, smaller enclosure and the second at the eastern junction of the two enclosures. These are interpreted as hut circles and are recorded separately (MDV125909 and 125910).
The layout of the enclosure bank might support the interpretation that the hut circles predate the creation of the enclosure banks.
The enclosure banks are identifiable only as fragmentary earthworks on visualisations derived from low resolution lidar data captured in 2013.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4967 - Shaugh Moor Survey (1997-1998)
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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