See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

A possible cist attached to a length of prehistoric wall on Royal Hill was examined in 1989 during fieldwork visit but the identification could not be confirmed. This site is on the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites as it would have been visited and considered for scheduling.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Group of clearance cairns, possibly prehistoric in origin, with a possible Bronze Age cist and prehistoric length of wall, east of Royal Hill

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Historical): IN Site
• National Monuments Record: SX67SW212
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 620010
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/126

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) CIST? (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• WALL (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Greeves, T. A. P., 1982, Site visit to cairns on Royal Hill (Site Visit). SDV263708.

A possible cist attached to a length of prehistoric wall. One large slab 1.4 metres by 1.1 metres, also a thin slab on edge 0.15 metres thick, 0.80 metres wide.

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

Not visible.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, S. Probert & M. J. Fletcher (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(19/03/1989) The suggested cist (citing SMR record) is at SX 62637225, beside a length of bank and with numerous earthfast stones in vicinity. The primary feature is a rectilinear slab 1.5m long, 1.2m wide and 0.1m thick. Its NE corner rests upon a thin embedded stone, about 0.8m long and 0.1m high, and the slab is thus raised from the surface. No pit or other stones can be felt in the limited space beneath. A shallow pit 0.7m across, has been dug near the NW corner and at a short distance is a part buried 0.4m square, slab which may be displaced from a similar gap in the adjacent bank.
The impression gained is that, being similar to a cover stone, the large slab has been moved in the false expectation of a cist beneath.
The bank, 65m long, extends from SX 62617229 to SX 62637223, down a moderate SW slope. It is 1.5m to 1.9m wide, 0.25m high, and composed of small turf covered stones. (Any larger ones may have been taken to augment ragged heaps of gathered stone that lie in the area). The bank terminates abruptly at the NW, but fades at the SW end and is probably an isolated remnant of prehistoric field system.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 1989, Survey of sites east of Royal Hill (Report - Survey). SDV263616.

The suggested cist is at SX62637225, beside a length of bank and with numerous earthfast stones in visibility. The primary feature is a rectilinear slab 1.5 metres long, 1.2 metres wide and 0.1 metres thick. Its north-east corner rests upon a thin embedded stone, about 0.8 metres long and 0.1 metres high, and the slab is thus raised from the surface. No pit or other stones can be felt in the limited space beneath. A shallow pit 0.7 metres across, has been dug near the north-west corner and at a short distance is a part buried 0.4 metre square slab which may be displaced from a similar gap in the adjacent bank. The impression gained is that, being similar to a coverstone, the large slab has been moved in the false expectation of a cist beneath.
The bank, 65 metres long, extends from SX62617229 to SX62637223, down a moderate south-western slope. It is 1.5 metres to 1.9 metres wide, 0.25 metres high, and composed of small turf covered stones (any larger ones may have been taken to augment ragged heaps of gathered stone that lie in the area). The bank terminates abruptly at the north-west, but fades at the south-western end and is probably an isolated remnant of prehistoric field system.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8628 - Tor Royal Farm Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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