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Summary

Stone alignment with a terminal cairn which has an encircling kerb situated on Shaugh Moor overlooking the Plym Valley. The single stone alignment consists of mainly small stones measuring up to a maximum 0.45 metres high, although the average height is 0.14 metres and these are spaced up to 1.5 metres apart. Some stones are fallen whilst others are buried by the accumulation of peat. The alignment is 179 metres long. At the south is a terminal cairn which survives as a partial kerb forming a ring which measures approximately 18 metres in diameter and includes six low orthostats. The central cairn is very low and measures 3.5 metres in diameter, a further small low cairn survives to the north-west of similar size and surrounds a stone on the kerb.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002518: Stone row NW of Saddlesborough
• SHINE: Bronze age landscapes on Shaugh Moor and Wooter Moor comprising earthworks and walling of enclosures, hut circles, cairns, stone circles and rows, reaves and field systems, and medieval and post medieval field systems

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE45
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439236
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/24
• Old SAM County Ref: 429

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

'Stone Row' shown on early 20th century map.

Worth, R. H., 1918, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 10, 403 (Article in Serial). SDV138546.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 291 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

A single stone row, 180 metres in length. The spacing of the stones varies between 0.9 metres and 1.5 metres centre to centre. At the south-western end there is a retaining circle 15 metres in diameter.
There is a hut circle 3 metres south of the retaining circle.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 208 (Monograph). SDV231148.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 165, Shaugh Prior 41 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(8/6/1976) Three stones of the retaining circle from which stone row Worth's No.13 descends to the north-east.

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

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX56SE45, SX56SE45 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV363217.

(Visited 04/09/1980) The stones of the row are now very small and sunk into the peat, making them hard to find (citing Fox, A. 1951).
The stone row is as previously described, and extends from SX 5550 6358 to SX 5543 6344 and from the north-east and lower end, at an angle of grid north 209 degrees. The ring of stones, excluding the terminal stone of the row, appears to have diameters of approximately 10 metres by 13 metres rather than those quoted above. The recorded off-set central socket could not be identified; the low mound 5.0 metres in diameter and 0.05 metres high, is also off-set.
For details see ground photographs and 1:500 plan.
(As in all rows with small stones there may be slight differences of opinion in the number of stones, particularly where other apparently natural stones are concerned.

Smith, K., 1980, Typescript notes and plan of Shaugh Moor (Un-published). SDV138646.

(02/04/1980) A stone row 164m long aligned SW-NE over the brow and down the south side of the valley. The terminals are not intervisible. It is composed of small stones, normally between 35 and 10cm high, the tallest (65cms) being at the apparent northern terminal. Where the stones have been removed their original positions can be identified from depressions in the turf.
An egg-shaped ring of stone uprights, at the southern end of the row. Its dimensions are 13.9m x 12.4m; it is represented by nine stones or their sockets, with a single, off-set central socket. The stones are very small; the ring surrounded a low mound now barely discernible, which has since largely eroded.

Balaam, N. D. + Smith, K. + Wainwright, G. J., 1982, The Shaugh Moor Project: Fourth Report - Environment, Context and Conclusion, 254-5 (Article in Serial). SDV145845.

Egg-shaped stone setting associated with the row is not aligned on the same axis as the row.

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

Visible on the aerial photographs and recorded in project.

Fleming, A., 1988, The Dartmoor Reaves: Investigating Prehistoric Land Divisions, 45 (Monograph). SDV229071.

Sited on moorward side of terminal reave MDV2573, a not uncommon position.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 104-6, Map 48 Figure 48.5 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Shaugh Moor stone row on the north-west flank of Saddlesborough is a single row 179 metres long with 103 stones originally and a cairn at the south-west end.

Fletcher, M. + Probert, S., 1998, Shaugh Moor, Devon: An Archaeological Survey (Report - Survey). SDV343481.

(Visited 02/12/1997) The remains of the stone row and the stone circle at its southern end are an impressive survival; relatively little change to the state of this monument since the 1:500 scale survey carried out in 1980.
The number of stones and socket holes which comprise the row are subject to the interpretation of the surveyor as some semi-buried, slightly off-line or fallen stones could be part of the monument or alternatively natural features. A count of the stones strictly on-line in 1998 revealed 68 upright and semi-buried stones and 11 probable sockets. At the time of the survey the moor was wet so the peat had expanded probably covering some features. The principle differences between the number of stones depicted in 1980 and those shown in 1998 occurred at the points where two broad paths cut across the row, one at the northern end and the second towards the southern end. This suggests on-going slight damage to the monument. The row measures a maximum 172.8m from the north terminal stone to the southern fringe of the circle.
Only an arc of four clearly identifiable stones survive in the circle (see MDV49564).

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Stone row shown on survey.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

Modern mapping shows the alignment and corresponds to the scheduled area.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 12/08/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

The monument includes a stone alignment with a terminal cairn which has an encircling kerb situated on Shaugh Moor overlooking the Plym Valley. The single stone alignment consists of mainly small stones measuring up to a maximum 0.45 metres high, although the average height is 0.14 metres and these are spaced up to 1.5 metres apart. Some stones are fallen whilst others are buried by the accumulation of peat. The alignment is 179 metres long. At the south is a terminal cairn which survives as a partial kerb forming a ring which measures approximately 18 metres in diameter and includes six low orthostats. The central cairn is very low and measures 3.5 metres in diameter, a further small low cairn survives to the north west of similar size and surrounds a stone on the kerb.
Despite the loss of some stones as a result of robbing and the accumulation of peat deposits obscuring others from view, and significant robbing or early excavation of the terminal cairn mound, the stone alignment with a terminal cairn on Shaugh Moor, 820 metres north east of Huxton Farm, survives comparatively well. Other structures in the vicinity have been more badly damaged by road building, stone quarrying and general disturbance, the alignment by contrast, is largely complete and being surrounded in peat it will undoubtedly contain important environmental evidence relating to its surrounding landscape context as well as archaeological information concerning its construction, use, development and longevity. It has long had an important history as a land mark and in particular was respected by the later builders of the nearby coaxial field system.

National Monument Record, 2016, Pastscape, Accessed 12/08/2016 (Website). SDV359354.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, SM-41 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 20/10/2019. Site description is fair. The grass and gorse has been recently cut 3m each side of the stone row, cuttings collected and dumped to the W side. Near the S end of the row is a small area 3m x 3m of vehicle ruts approximately 200mm wide and 200mm deep which cross the row in an area of very soft ground; the ruts do not appear recent and do not seem to align with any regularly used track and therefore believed to be a one off. Overall condition moderate. Photo X4 taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, SM-41 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo 1: S end of row looking N along row. Photo 2: S end of row looking N. Photo 3: N end of row looking NE. Photo 4: Ruts crossing row looking E.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4967 - Shaugh Moor Survey (1997-1998)

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