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Summary

The remains of a ring cairn lie 45m south-west of the western end of a stone row (SX 56 SE 15) at the foot of the south-west facing slope below Great Trowlesworthy Tor. Measuring 8.1m north-south by 8.5m overall it consists of a circular turf and stone bank between 1.5m and 1.9m wide and a maximum of 0.6m high enclosing a levelled grass-covered area. The enclosing bank is pierced by a relatively recent opening in the east side and traces of internal facing lies in the north side. Previously described as a hut circle.

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: SX56SE103
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439396
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/338
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24229
• Old SAM Ref: 10662

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Alternate Type) HUT CIRCLE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• (Alternate Type) RING CAIRN (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE103 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV142846.

(18/06/1977) At SX 5742 6393, there is a hut circle, internal diameter 8.7mby 7.5m. It has tumbled walling 0.5m high and from 1.5m to 3.0m wide but would seem to be of Type 2 with small boulders forming the inner face. On the outer face there is one large orthostat, 1.3m long and 0.8m high. The entrance, 1.0m wide in the north-east. Found during field investigation. Surveyed at 1:10 000 om M.S.D.

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

Not recorded by the project.

Mercer, R. J., 1987, An Archaeological Field Survey of the Upper Plym Valley, Dartmoor 1982-1986, 35 (Report - Survey). SDV165948.

Hut circle. Unenclosed circular structure composed of a turf bank in which a few stones are visible. There is a possible entrance in south-eastern section. Diameter measures 7.5m (internally), 14.5m externally by 0.45m height.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140525 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(10/03/1994) SX 5743 6394. Hut circle of simple plan type survives as 2.2m wide and 0.7m high rubble bank with occasional orthostats surrounding a circular 8m diameter internal area. A south-east facing gap may represent a doorway.
This building is shown as a cairn but labelled hut circle on the ordnance survey 1:10000 map.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 156-8, Map 51, Figure 51.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Hut Circle at 'P' to the south of the 'Trowlesworthy Tors settlement' of 8.5 metres diameter is sited close to the Trowleworthy stone rows and probably associated with the walling and circular enclosure about 15 metres across on the right bank of the Blacka Brook.

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

Hut circle depicted and described by Robertson.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 12, 102.035 (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5763 01-06-2002 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A circular stony ring bank is visible as an earthwork.

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

(14/02/2001) SX 5743 6395. The remains of a ring cairn lie 45m south-west of the western end of a stone row (SX 56 SE 15) at the foot of the south-west facing slope below Great Trowlesworthy Tor. Measuring 8.1m north-south by 8.5m overall it consists of a circular turf and stone bank between 1.5m and 1.9m wide and a maximum of 0.6m high enclosing a levelled grass-covered area. The enclosing bank is pierced by a relatively recent opening in the east side and traces of internal facing lies in the north side.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5763 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

A ring bank is identifiable as an earthwork.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UPTR-30 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(22/03/2020) Condition of the cairn assessed as good; some vegetation growth (bracken) on cairn.

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

Site photographed March 2020.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 08-AUG-2015 ACCESSED 14-OCT-2019 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

A circular stony ring bank is visible as an earthwork.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Curvilinear banks up to 3.5 wide are identifiable as stony spread earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2002 onwards and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013, defining an oval enclosure or hollow 8 to 10m across on the south-west facing slopes of Trowlesworthy Warren, overlooking the Blacka Brook.
The visible earthwork is interpreted as the remains of a hut circle of probable Bronze Age to Iron Age date.
A break circa 1m wide might mark an entrance on the north-east side of the bank.

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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