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Summary

A sub-circular enclosure and eight hut circles lie on the moderate west-facing slope of Little Trowlesworthy Tor. Measures 61m north-south by 64m and is bounded by boulder and slab walls between 2.4 and 3.6m wide and up to 1.0m high. Within are six hut circles, the remaining huts lying outside, to the south. The enclosure walls have been modified to include two post medieval vermin traps belonging to Trowelsworthy Warren.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019084: Partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement and post-medieval warren structures on the western slope of Little and Great Trowlesworthy Tors
• SHINE: Earthworks and stone walls of partially enclosed Bronze Age hut circle settlements and post-medieval warren structures on the western slope of Little and Great Trowlesworthy Tors

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE13
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439142
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/233
• Old SAM County Ref: 280
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24233
• Old SAM Ref: 10813

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Whitley, N., 1855, Plan of Prehistoric Enclosure at Trowlesworthy Warren (Plan - sketch). SDV175112.

Spence Bate, C., 1870-1871, On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor, 501, Figure 1, Plate 3 (Article in Serial). SDV277110.

Enclosed village on western slope of Trowlesworthy Tor. Nearly circular, 150 paces across. Walls unbroken except for two entrances to the south and north. The north entry is blocked by four walls, each diagonally placed in relation to the enclosure walls, in the form of a cross. Only space for one to enter at a time. Within the walls of the south entrance is a small hut circle.

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

'Enclosure (Remains of)' shown on 19th century map containing six hut circles

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Enclosure' shown on early 20th century map.

Curwen, E. C., 1927, Prehistoric Agriculture in Britain, 282-6 (Article in Serial). SDV173835.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX56SE13 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV175103.

(1950) Enclosure containing hut circles. The wall with an average height of 1 metre is composed of large boulders and fairly large stones. It is in poor condition with the fallen wall up to 4 metres wide.
(21/06/1977) An enclosed settlement of 0.3 ha and three unenclosed hut circles (Centred at SX 57506439) lie on a south-west facing slope at 300m. O.D.
The sub-circular enclosure is of double walled construction with an infill of small stones. It is up to 4.0m. wide and 1.0m. high with a clearly defined entrance on the west. Gaps on the north and south may not be original as they incorporate vermin traps, the arms of which seem to be Spence Bate's square enclosure. The six huts within the enclosure are of type 2. (Type site: SX 56 NE 71) Two are adjacent to the wall but not integrated. All have levelled interiors with entrances on the west. The internal diameters are from 4.5m. to 8.0m. with a mean of 6.5m. with walling averaging 1.5m. thick and 0.8m. high. The hut at SX 57476444 has a 'porch' outside the entrance.
The huts outside the enclosure are of a similar type, from 3.0m. to 7.0m. internal diameter and from 0.3m. to 0.8m. high. One at SX 57576432 has been later utilised as a pillow mound by being ditched on the uphill side and the interior filled up with the soil.
There is no associated system of fields or plots. Surveyed 1:10 000 on P.F.D./A.M.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 138-9, 157, Figure 34 (Monograph). SDV337618.

Enclosure on the slope of Little Trowlesworthy Tor with six hut circles.

Ordnance Survey, 1975, OS/75/369, 145-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV254607.

Visible.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX5764, 2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV138979.

Photograph taken on 8th April 1976.

Price, D. G., 1977, Settlement at Trowlesworthy Warren, 44, Figure 1 (Article in Serial). SDV150433.

Six internal hut circles 7-12 metres in diameter. Vermin traps in the walls. Many stones in the interior except near centre. A small degraded pound 10 metres from the main feature is described as a "Square Chamber" on the first edition 1/2500 Ordnance Survey map. Massive walls.

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

Ovoid enclosure visible and recorded containing eight hut circles. One hut circle lies outside.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140732 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 13th April 1995. Simple enclosure forming part of a partially enclosed hut settlement. Survives as a 65 metre by 60 metre sub-oval area surrounded by a 1.3 metre wide faced rubble wall with occasional orthostats standing up to 1 metre high. At least 6 hut circles are visible within the enclosure, one of which is attached to the inner face of the enclosure wall. The enclosure wall has been cut by 2 Post-Medieval vermin traps and a cache was inserted into the wall along its southern sector. A rubble wall leads off from the south side of the enclosure, but was probably never part of another enclosure.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 156, Map 51, Figure 51.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Prehistoric Enclosure D with well preserved walling conserved by the warreners for pest control. There are two vermin traps on opposte sides which were once mistaken for fortitified entrances. Sixl hut circles have interior walls of 4.4 - 7.7 metres diameter.

Robertson, J. G., 1994, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym Valley (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV139549.

Depicted and described by Robertson.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 76, 102 349a (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Sub-rectangular enclosure 65 metres by 60 metres with a wall of large stones 1.3 metres wide by 1 metre high. Six hut circles are associated with the enclosure.

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

(20/05/2002) Centred SX 5750 6445. A sub-circular enclosure and eight hut circles lie on the moderate west-facing slope of Little Trowlesworthy Tor.
The enclosure measures 61m north-south by 64m and is bounded by boulder and slab walls between 2.4 and 3.6m wide and up to 1.0m high. Within are six hut circles, the remaining huts lying outside, to the south. Most of the huts have served as repositories for cleared surface stone while one has been reused as a rabbit bury. The enclosure walls have been modified to include two post medieval vermin traps belonging to Trowelsworthy Warren (SX 56 SE 66).
A feature at SX 5754 6439, recorded as a hut circle by Butler appears to be a small clearance cairn 4.7m N to S by 4.3m overall and a maximum of 0.7m high.

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

Enclosure visible on aerial photograph.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UPTR-18 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(08/09/2020) Condition assessed as poor; bracken encroachment is seriously affecting huts within this enclosure.

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

Images taken during the September 2020 visit.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Enclosure shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2019, National Heritage List for England, 1019084 (National Heritage List for England). SDV362730.

Enclosure with hut circles. Diameter 60 metres defined by a bank of earth and stone, including some large boulders, 2 metres wide and one metre or more in height. Contains 6 stone hut circles, 2 attached to the bank and 4 freestanding in the centre. Diameters range from 7 - 12 metres, with walls up to 3 metres thick and 1 metre high. Evidence of entrances in hut walls facing west.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7369 - Survey of Granite Loading Bays at Trowlesworthy, Devon
• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)

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