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Summary

A single stone row 80 metres long consisting of 35 upright and 13 recumbent stones running in an east-west line from the site of a possible ring cairn at the foot of the south-western flank of Little Trowlesworthy Tor with a cairn at the head of the row marked by a circle containing one upright and eight fallen small slabs and boulders. The stones of the row are space between 0.8m and 1.0m apart and vary in height from 0.1m to 1.3m at the western terminal.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016147: A stone alignment, kerbed cairn, prehistoric settlement, four pillow mounds, a vermin trap and animal runs 720m south west of Great Trowlesworthy Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE15
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439148
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/13
• Old SAM County Ref: 560B
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24229
• Old SAM Ref: 10663

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Spence Bate, C., 1870-1871, On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor, 506-7 (Article in Serial). SDV277110.

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

'Stone Avenue (Remains of)' shown on 19th century map with far fewer stones in the southern of the two lines.

Worth, R. N., 1892, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor, 401 (Article in Serial). SDV237176.

38 stones visible in row. From the west end, for about 50 metres, the stones are regularly spaced, then comes a gap of about 20 metres after which only 6 stones of small size continue to the circle.

Rowe, S., 1896, A Perambulation of the Forest of Dartmoor, 177 (Monograph). SDV249697.

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

'Stone Row' shown on early 20th century map as a double row but with only 14 stones shown in the southern line.

Tyler, F. C., 1930-1931, Kistvaens at Thornworthy and Stone Rows, 115-119 (Article in Serial). SDV251072.

The Trowlesworthy rows are included in a discussion by Tyler on the orientation of stone rows.

Brailsford, J. W., 1938, Bronze Age Stone Monuments of Dartmoor, 445-7 (Article in Serial). SDV304210.

Worth, R. H., 1941, Retaining Circles Associated with Stone Rows, Dartmoor, 232 (Article in Serial). SDV251083.

Other details: Figure 3.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 292 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

Single stone row running west to east at Trowlesworthy Tor. At the west end is a small menhir, 1.3 metres in height and at the east end there are indications of a retaining circle the stones of the row are spaced approximately 1.5 metres. Row number 15.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX56SE15 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV139180.

A single row 81 metres in length with a menhir at its western end, which is 1.2 metres high. At the eastern end of the row are the remains of a retaining circle 4.7 metres in diameter internally. Of the possible 8 stones which remain, three are standing. There is no sign of a barrow inside the circle.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 209 (Monograph). SDV231148.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE15, SX56SE15, Row (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV171273.

(22/05/1977) SX 5745 6397 - SX 5755 6397: A stone row, where some of the stones are either displaced or the remains of a second row, lies on a gentle concave slope, 275m above O.D., orientated 80 degrees (grid). It is 78.0m long, bows slightly to the north and consists of 51 stones, 40 upright, average height 0.4m, 8 recumbent and 3 leaning. The west and lower end is marked by a standing stone 1.3m high and the east end by one 1.2m high.
The majority of the stones, including the west terminal, are aligned with the row.
At the east is a 4.5m diameter circle of 10 stones; average height 0.4m. There is no visible cairn or cist in the centre. Two upright stones immediately to the north west of the circle are probably associated. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on P.F.D. (1:500 enlargement survey).

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 165 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(Site visited 07/05/1976) Retaining circle at higher end of stone row.

Emmett, D. D., 1979, Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered, 111 (Article in Serial). SDV251087.

Balaam, N. D. + Smith, K. + Wainwright, G. J., 1982, The Shaugh Moor Project: Fourth Report - Environment, Context and Conclusion, 254 (Article in Serial). SDV145845.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140524 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Single stone alignment at SX57506398. Orientated east-west and includes a 79 metre long single row of at least 44 stones, with the tallest stones being present at either end. The tallest stone measures 1.2 metres high, although the average height is 0.32 metres. An encircled cairn lies at the eastern end of the alignment.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 171-2, Map 51, Figure 51.11 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Trowlesworthy single stone row of 82 metres long with a cairn at the east end and a tall stone at the west end. Several stones have been set at right angles to the alignment including two larger ones in a stony patch of ground about midway along.

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

Depicted and described by Robertson.

National Trust and English Heritage, 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape, 13, 102042 (Report - non-specific). SDV166309.

33 distinct orthostats in a single row. A further 14 traceable, either slightly protruding through turf or detectable by probing. From the west end stones are regularly spaced for 50 metres, averaging 0.72 metres apart. After a gap of 16 metres, in marshy ground, in which only one clear upright stone is visible, a row of 5 leads to stone circle. Row changes orientation slightly at approx. midpoint. West end disturbed by pillow mound. Some of the row was destroyed for building material in 1859 (see Rowe, 1896). Other details: 102.042a..

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Trowlesworthy stone row (Personal Comment). SDV139195.

Trowlesworthy West. As above. Other details: Notes in SMR.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5763 03-05-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A row of aligned stones is visible.

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

(16/02/2001) SX 5754 6399 to SX 5746 6398. A single stone row consisting of 35 upright and 13 recumbent stones running in an east-west line from the site of a possible ring cairn at the foot of the south-western flank of Little Trowlesworthy Tor.
The cairn at the head of the row is marked by a circle containing one upright and eight fallen small slabs and boulders. Within these is a slightly raised area, perhaps the remains of a cairn. There is no evidence to suggest the former presence of a cist.
The stones of the row are space between 0.8m and 1.0m apart and vary in height from 0.1m to 1.3m at the western terminal.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Row of stones is depicted on the modern electronic mapping.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

This monument includes a stone alignment, kerbed cairn, prehistoric settlement with enclosures and clearance areas, four pillow mounds, a vermin trap and three animal runs situated on a west facing slope overlooking the valley of the Blacka Brook. The stone alignment is orientated from east to west and includes a 79 metre long single row of at least 44 stones, with the tallest stones being present at either end. The tallest stone measures 1.2 metres high, although the average height is 0.32 metres. An encircled cairn lies at the eastern end of the alignment (description 1991). Other details: SAM ID: 24229.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UPTR-29 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(22/03/2020) Condition of row assessed as good; some vegetation growth and environmental damage caused by damp area with reeds.

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

Images taken in March 2020.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 22-JUN-2018 ACCESSED 22-NOV-2019 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

A row of aligned stones is visible.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

At least 40 of the individual stones within the stone row are identifiable on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2007.
The paired stones are 1 to 1.5m apart, defining a narrow avenue extending for approximately 78m in a roughly West-North-West to East-South-East alignment from, circa SX5745963972 to SX5753663978. The stones are not identifiable for circa 17m centred on circa SX5751563977, possibly due to an area of peat formation.
The location of each identifiable stone has been schematically transcribed.
It was not possible to transcribe the cairn or stone circle at the eastern end of the alignment (MDV49509) with any confidence but it's location and extent could be identified.

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)
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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