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Summary

Prehistoric hut circle settlement on Wigford Down consisting of two hut circles within an irregular shaped enclosure

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and walling of Bronze age parallel reave field system with hut circle settlements and cairns, plus deserted Medieval settlements with long houses and pillow mounds, on Wigford Down
• Scheduled Monument 1002550: Settlement on Wigford Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NW15
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439073
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NW/8
• Old SAM County Ref: 563

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, 106G/UK/1190, 3239-40 (Aerial Photograph). SDV170515.

Photograph taken on 27th February 1946.

Royal Air Force, 1946, CPE/UK 1890, 4292-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV140289.

Fox, A., 1954, Celtic Fields and Farms on Dartmoor in Light of Recent Excavations at Kestor, 102 (Article in Serial). SDV231175.

Price, D. G., 1978, Settlement and ancient fields on Wigford Down, 69-75 (Article in Serial). SDV220620.

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

An enclosure is visible, incorporated into a field system containing ridge and furrow. One hut circle is built into the enclosure wall, the other is attached to it by a short length of reave. The enclosure is apparently agglomerated, and is of two elements.

Department of Environment, 1987, Scheduled Monument Consent Letter (Correspondence). SDV251373.

Letter dated 8th January 1987. Scheduled Monument Consent refused for tree planting.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 78-80, Map 48, Figure 48.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Settlement 'C' within Wigford Down field system consists of two enclosures and two hut circles.

GetMapping, 1999 - 2000, Dartmoor 1999-2000 1:1250 Aerial Photography (digital) (Aerial Photograph). SDV345751.

Settlement visible on aerial photography. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Part of this site is shown on the modern mapping. Map object based on this source.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, 1002550 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

The monument includes a stone hut circle settlement with associated enclosures and a Medieval long house which fall within a coaxial field system in the centre of Wigford Down. The stone hut circle settlement survives as two circular buildings which are linked by a double walled drove way and enclosed by a series of small irregular shaped fields of varying shape and size which all fall within a coaxial field system . The stone hut circles are defined by rubble or double faced orthostatic walls measuring up to 1.5 metres wide and 1 metre high which enclose circular areas with internal diameters of up to 9.5 metres. A stone in the wall of one building bears a carefully incised inscription reading ‘JTCP’.

Newman, P., 2020, Wigford Down Premier Archaeological Landscape, Dartmoor National Park, Devon. A new survey (Report - Survey). SDV363780.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website (Website). SDV364039.

Summary description ?
The remains of prehistoric settlement on Wigford Down comprising four huts in two groups. A homestead of two huts with yards connected by a double walled drove way and surrounded by rectangular fields.
Full description(s) ?
(Centred SX 54336512) Enclosure & Hut Circles (NR)
(Hut circle 'A' at SX 54306516; 'B' at SX 54356509). (1)
There are four huts in two groups, diameter 20 to 30 feet, on a western slope, on the north part of Wigford Down (see also SX 56 NW 13) (2). A homestead of two huts with yards connected by a double walled drove way and surrounded by rectangular fields (3). (2-4)
Sources ?
Ref Title (& comments) Year SoR Pages Volume Notes
(1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)
Default value used to record large numbers of archive items which are not separately catalogued. See Monument Recording Guidelines for details of use. OS 6" 1954
(2) Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society
Continuation of: Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. Indexes: 1-30; 31-40; 41-50 (in vol.55); 56-60 102 20, 1954 (A Fox)
(3) Annotated Record Map
Default value used to record large numbers of archive items which are not separately catalogued. See Monument Recording Guidelines for details of use. Corr 6" (A Fox April 1951)
(4) Aerial photograph
Default value used to record large numbers of archive items which are not separately catalogued. See Monument Recording Guidelines for details of use. (RAF/106G/UK/1190 3239-40 27.2.46)
(2a) Aerial photograph
Default value used to record large numbers of archive items which are not separately catalogued. See Monument Recording Guidelines for details of use.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8316 - Wigford Down PAL survey

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