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Summary

A length of the Great Western Reave, constructed from large stones and rubble measuring between 2 and 3 metres wide and is up to 0.8 metres high. Not continuous; within the monument two prominent gaps in its length are visible. This reave appears to deliberately exclude the large prehistoric settlements within Merrivale Newtake from the territory bordering the River Walkham.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016148: A prehistoric and historic archaeological landscape within Merrivale Newtake
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking and structural remains of vermin trap in streamwork north of Merrivale Bridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NE39
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439680
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/65
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/65/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 335
• Old SAM Ref: 28788(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• REAVE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 3175, 174-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Ordnance Survey, 1975, OS/75/369, 214 (Aerial Photograph). SDV254607.

Fleming, A., 1978, The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor. Part 1: South Dartmoor, 97-123 (Article in Serial). SDV235265.

Middle stretch of the Great Western Reave, running south towards Walkhampton Common.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978-1979, SX57NE39 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV275788.

(20/10/1978) A reave runs along the contour at approximately 370m AD and a distance of 800.0m across the lower south west slopes of Great Mis Tor. Starting at SX 55687612 in an area of clitter adjacent to an enclosed settlement (SX 57 NE 24). Though both settlement and reave appear to be associated, there is no physical connection. The reave is of rubble construction averaging 1.8m wide and 0.6m high, with a smaller parallel reave, 1.0m wide and 0.3m high, extending to the west for 70.0m, with one small semi-circular yard attached at SX 55707604. The main reave extends south eastwards towards a rock outcrop at SX 55807538, but is barely perceptible in some places and visible only as a lynchet in others. It is broken by vehicle tracks in places, crosses an east to west stream and then deviates to the south west entering an area of clitter and ceasing at SX 55677532 on a newtake wall.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.
(30/11/1979) A north to south reave extends from SX55687612 in the clitter adjoining an enclosed settlement to SX55667533 where it ends in clitter near a newtake wall. It has been assumed to form part of the 'Great Western Reave', a reave so discontinuous it is simpler to deal with it piecemeal.
Almost throughout it is visible as a bank of tumbled stone, 2.2 metres wide and up to 0.5 metres high, exceptionally spread to a width of 3.0 metres. There is little evidence of the basic construction, but it appears to have been drystone walling about 1.3 metres thick with few upright slabs to stabilize the sides. No deviations are made to incorporate large 'in situ' boulders.
There are three major breaks in its length of 820 metres. Where it is cut by a stream at SX55757557 there is a gap of 64.0 metres doubtless enlarged by tin working. At SX55747576 and SX55717588 gaps of 42.0 metres and 45.0 metres may be the result of robbing or deliberate. Two breaks of about 3.0 metres at SX55717599 and SX55717602 may be quite modern.
There is no evidence of settlement along the course but the reave abuts a funnel-shaped ditched earthwork (MDV28519) at SX55717582. One arm of this earthwork should logically have extended northwards; it did so the ditch has been erased and the reave built upon the bank of upcast, though this cannot now be seen. But, assuming the funnel work to be associated with droving, its purpose would be nullified unless the 40 metre gaps in the reave were deliberately constructed to continue the function.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:2500.

National Monuments Record, 1979, NMR SF1510, 178 (Aerial Photograph). SDV273995.

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

Reave running north-south along contours on west slope of Great Mis Tor. Three fragments visible on the aerial photographs. The two most northerly of the fragments apparently incorporated as the easternmost boundaries of field system to the west MDV27079. The most northerly section joins with agglomerated enclosure MDV4227.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 143938 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(16/11/1994) SX 5567 7533 to SX 5538 7622. This 1200m length of the Great Western Reave is situated on a west-facing slope of Little Mis Tor. The reave which has a total length of over 10km is the longest known prehistoric land division boundary on Dartmoor. Within the area of the monument it runs from SX 5567 7533 following the contour to SX 5569 7612 before turning west-north-west and downslope to SX 5538 7622. The reave is not continuous and two prominent gaps in its length are visible. The first at SX 5574 6558 has been caused by a later tin streamwork whilst the other at SX 5563 7612 may be the result of disturbance caused by Medieval agriculture. The reave itself varies in character along its length, but on average it is composed of large stones and rubble and measures between 2m and 3m wide and is up to 0.8m high.
This reave appears to deliberately exclude the large prehistoric settlements within Merrivale newtake from the territory bordering the River Walkham.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, Map 30 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Reave is depicted by Butler.

Newman, P., 1995, Field Survey in the Walkham Valley, 4-5 (Article in Serial). SDV275799.

Passmore, A., 2000, Survey Weekends 2000 (Article in Serial). SDV275800.

Great Western Reave extends for over 10 kilometres across western Dartmoor and has been cut by streamwork at SX55787555.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 22/08/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

This monument, which falls into six areas, includes three irregular aggregate field systems associated with prehistoric stone hut circle settlements, a length of the Great Western Reave, part of Merrivale Warren, several clearance cairns, a deserted medieval settlement and field system, a blowing mill, a tin streamwork, an adit, a shelter and two tinners'caches situated on a west facing slope within Merrivale Newtake overlooking the valley of the River Walkham.
The remaining major prehistoric feature within the scheduling is a length of the Great Western Reave which has a total length of over 10km and is the longest known prehistoric land division boundary on Dartmoor. The reave is not continuous and within the monument two prominent gaps in its length are visible. The reave itself varies in character along its length, but typically it is composed of large stones and rubble and measures between 2m and 3m wide and is up to 0.8m high. This reave appears to deliberately exclude the large prehistoric settlements within Merrivale Newtake from the territory bordering the River Walkham. See designation record for full details.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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