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Summary

A low, disturbed circular earthwork on the upper ridge of Ringmoor Down is a probable ring cairn. The bank is low and spread being up to 4.6m wide by 0.1m high and forms a slightly irregular circle with an internal diameter of between 28 and 30m and overall diameter of 37m. Two lines of tin prospecting pits which traverse the monument, of probable medieval or post medieval date, have caused some damage on the southern arc of the bank and its interior. A shallow earthwork leat was also cut across it. Surveyed in April 2022. Previously identified as a possible embanked stone circle (1979), Turner (1990) suggested an indentification of ring cairn, but 2005 survey visit reclassified remains as more likely to be an ephemeral part of the surrounding medieval field system.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012084: Enclosure north-east of Brisworthy Plantation

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE161
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438953
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/292
• Old SAM Ref: 10665

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD BOUNDARY (Unknown date)
• (Former Type) EMBANKED STONE CIRCLE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• RING CAIRN (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

National Monuments Record, SX5665, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV260574.

Quinnell, N. V., 1979, Note on possible embanked circle, Ringmoor Down (Un-published). SDV244262.

(07/03/1979) 50 metres south-west of the cairn circle (MDV4029) on Ringmoor Down is a low embanked circle with no ditch. Bank measures 2.5 metres wide, 0.1 metres high, distinguished by differential vegetation. Overall diameter 36 metres, but partly destroyed by digging. A total of twelve stones visible at irregular intervals. Suggested identification: partially destroyed embanked stone circle?

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX56NE161 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV244265.

A number of ritual monuments occur on the flattish ridge of Ringmoor Down at about 305m OD., the smallest being a circle of stones 3.7m in diameter (SX 56 NE 61). Lying 50m to the south-west of this, and centred at SX 5610 6590 there is a circle formed by a low bank with no accompanying ditch. The bank is about 2.5m wide and 0.1m high, particularly noticeable by its covering growth of short heather in an area of grass. The overall diameter of the circle is 36.0m but 20.0m of the perimeter in the south-west has been destroyed by diggings. A total of twelve stones are visible at irregular intervals on the bank or, in one instance, against it and evidently displaced. Some are up to 0.4m high, others merely protrude from the turf. All are of quartz-schorl and not granite, similar to the small circle of stones. Those which remain are mostly not deeply set or have suffered from peat shrinkage, and no holes are visible in the top of the bank to suggest recent robbing. There is no break in the circle as it now appears. The impression gained is not that of a domestic or pastoral enclosure but of an embanked stone circle which has been extensively robbed. (See also SX 56 NE 77).
Discovered during field investigation. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:500 (see illustration).

Balaam, N. D. + Smith, K. + Wainwright, G. J., 1982, The Shaugh Moor Project: Fourth Report - Environment, Context and Conclusion, 255 (Article in Serial). SDV145845.

Former stone circle on Ringmoor Down. Measures 35 metres in diameter, stones are 0.1 - 0.5 metres high. Damaged by tinning activity.

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

Recorded from 1978 aerial photograph.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 66/A2 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Ring cairn. Stone ring 31.5 metres in diameter internally, with bank 0.7 metres wide and 0.15 metres high. A few upright stones still remain in the bank.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 144-5, Map 49, Figure 49.21 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Ringmoor Down '4' at SX56106590 of 35.0 metres diameter by 0.1 metres high is a barely visible circular enclosure, its position on the ridge suggesting a large ring cairn rather than a domestic enclosure. The flat interior is disturbed by a line of tinners' pits and is surrounded by a low bank no more than 0.1 metres high supporting a few earthfast slabs.

Probert, S., 2005, Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV363484.

(218/02/2005) This feature is now largely obscured by dense Molinia. Only a 35m section of slightly curving bank is visible between SX 5612 6591 and SX 5613 6588. None of the stones noted by the Ordnance Survey (1979) are in situ, there being just two clusters of three stones each. It seems unlikely that this could represent an embanked stone circle it seems more likely to be an ephemeral part of the surrounding medieval field system.

Probert, S. A. J., 2010, A Condition Survey of the Archaeological Sites of Ringmoor, Dartmoor Training Area (Report - Survey). SDV360517.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Ringmoor Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361636.

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

(08/11/2019) Condition assessed as ?very good by volunteer recorders; no issues noted.

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

Feature photographed in November 2019.

Historic England, 2020, National Heritage List for England, 1012084 (National Heritage List for England). SDV363414.

(1991) Enclosure 40 metres diameter with earthen bank up to 2 metres in width and 0.3 metres in height, with some large stones protruding. It has been disturbed by digging in the south-west quadrant. Lies close to a stone circle, as well as the Ringmoor Down stone alignment and Eylesbarrow reave and associated cairns.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

'Enclosure' shown on modern mapping.

Newman, P., 2022, Ringmoor Down Premier Archaeological Landscape Dartmoor National Park, Devon. A new survey, Table 1 (Report - Survey). SDV365490.

A low, disturbed circular earthwork on the upper plateau of Ringmoor Down is a probable ring cairn. SX 56119 65909. A low, disturbed circular earthwork on the upper ridge of Ringmoor Down is a probable ring cairn. The bank is low and spread being up to 4.6m wide by 0.1m high and forms a slightly irregular circle with an internal diameter of between 28 and 30m and overall diameter of 37m. Although mostly turf covered, an exposed section reveals a stony construction with two clusters of larger exposed stones, five in total, though unlikely to be in-situ. The feature is likely to be prehistoric and may be associated with other ritual and burial monuments in the locality, including a stone row with encircled cairn to the east, and three round cairns to the north. Two lines of tin prospecting pits which traverse the monument, of probable medieval or post medieval date, have caused some damage on the southern arc of the bank and its interior. A shallow earthwork leat was also cut across it. Surveyed at 1:500 using GPS, 8 April 2022.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7443 - Condition survey of archaeological sites in Ringmoor Training Area
• EDV7569 - Condition survey of Ringmoor Down training area
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8917 - Survey of the archaeological features on Ringmoor Down

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