See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Cairn at the north-east end of Drizzlecombe Stone Row '1' of 8.0 metres diameter by 1.4 metres high. There is a depression in the centre, possibly the site of a cist. Six stones of the cairn circle remain.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014145: Three stone alignments, 15 cairns, a cist, a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement and a small clapper bridge at Drizzle Combe

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE43
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/80/2
• Old SAM County Ref: 462
• Old SAM Ref: 24104
• Pastscape: 438622

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Central of a row of three 'Tumuli' shown on 19th century map.

Worth, R. H., 1937, 56th Report of the Barrow Committee, 95 (Article in Serial). SDV20973.

This barrow has a distinct variety of the open retaining circle, the stones are few and slab-like and set leaning out from the barrow. Slabs have been trigged on the outside to prevent falling.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 293 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

A circled barrow, 8.7m diameter, at north-easy end of Row B of the Drizzlecombe group.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2494 (Aerial Photograph). SDV147533.

Cairn is visible.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX56NE43 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272588.

(31/05/1950) Tumuli at SX 5925 6708. A circled barrow at the north-east end of stone row. A turf-covered cairn with hollow in the centre, height 1.0 metres, surrounded by a retaining circle, 8.9 metres in diameter.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 210, No. 18, Fig. 73 (Monograph). SDV337618.

A circled barrow, 29 feet diameter at the north-east end of Drizzlecombe Group 'B'.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 167, Sheepstor 29 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(29/07/1972) Cairn with retaining circle. Diameter 8m height 1.2m.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX56NE43, Cairn (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV232037.

(31/01/1979) Cairn at the north-east end of stone row (the north-westerly of the three) at Drizzlecombe.
The cairn, which is offset from the line of the row by 1.5m, has a diameter of 8.0m and a height of up to 1.4m. There is a depression in the centre, possibly the site of a cist. Six stones of the cairn circle remain. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD and at 1:625 for Archaeological Officer Records

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

Not visible on the Royal Air Force 1940s vertical aerial photographs used in project.

Quinnell, N. V., 1988, Plan of the Drizzlecombe Stone Rows and associated features, Cairn B (Plan - measured). SDV232055.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 48 54 79/F13 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Encircled cairn. Ring of orthostats 8.4m diameter around cairn 6m diameter and 0.7m high. Aligned north-east of centre of stone row. Ring stones set leaning outwards, some on trigger stones.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133421 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

12/03/1993 Cairn survives as a 9m diameter mound standing up to 1m high. A central hollow, 2.5m by1.5m by 0.3m deep, represents robbing or a partial early excavation. Surrounding the mound, is a ring of 7 upright stones set 0.5m from its periphery. This type of cairn is described by Turner as encircled.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 135-141,210, Map 49, Figures 49.19 & 49.19.3 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Drizzlecombe stone row cairn '3' at SX59256707 of 8.6 metres diameter by 1.0 metres high at the east end of stone row '3' is surrounded by an outer ring of slabs mostly in contact with the base of the mound.

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Cairn (Worksheet). SDV272592.

(10/09/1995) Circular cairn, the north-eastern terminal to Drizzlecombe Row (Worth 18). The centre is offset 1.7 metres south-east of the alignment. Cairn measures 0.8 metres high and 8.0 metres diameter with a flattish top, 3.5 metres across. This contains an angular pit, 2.5 metres long but up to 1.0 metres wide and 0.5 metres deep. This appears to be an exploratory excavation although there are no pronounced spoil heaps.
Around the perimeter of the cairn are 8 stones of which 7 are earthfast, although some lean excessively. They are set at intervals of 1.5 - 2.0 metres. If regular this would suggest that 4 stones are missing. It may be coincidence that the largest of the stones faces the row, but is 0.7m off the general alignment. This is the best circle of the three terminal cairns.

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Drizzlecombe SX 59246707 (NAR 56NE43) (Plan - measured). SDV363471.

(1995) Measured plan of the cairn and encircling stones; all measured. Includes section of cairn.

Devon Archaeological Society, 1995, The Drizzlecombe Stone Rows, 11 (Leaflet). SDV272662.

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

(21/08/1999) The stone row and the cairn are as described and depicted on a large scale plan by Quinnell (1995). In recent years a number of portable boulders have been inserted into some of the gaps in the row - presumably by visitors.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

Visited 05/02/2020. Overall condition good. Photo taken.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Cairn visible on aerial photograph.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UP-DZ 21 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Photo looking 010° showing grass/moss/whortleberry and a little bracken covering with reeds encroaching round the perimeter.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, UP-DZ 21 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

Central of three cairns shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.