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Summary

In 1928 the Ten Commandments were carved on two large stones on the south side of Buckland Beacon by W. Arthur Clements, at the behest of William Whitley (Lord of the Manor) to commemorate the rejection by Parliament of the proposed New Book of Common Prayer. Recut in 1995, the stones underwent a further Heritage Lottery Funded restoration project in 2017.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a Bronze Age parallel reave system on Buckland Common and Blackslade Down, including prehistoric hut circle settlements and cairns, medieval and later remains

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77SW/7/1
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• INSCRIBED STONE (Early 20th Century - 1927 AD to 1928 AD)

Full description

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 666 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Mr William Whitley (of Welstor) had the 10 commandments engraved on two tablets. A sculptor named W. A. Clement was employed for this purpose and lived in a hut on the fringe of the woods below the beacon while engaged on the work.

Belsey, P. M., 1983 - 1987, Buckland In The Moor Parish Checklist (Un-published). SDV345904.

(1983) Ten commandments carved on two large stones on south side of Buckland Beacon and dated 15/12/27 - 14/6/28. See worksheet for photograph.

Brown, M., 1996, A guide to the Parish of Buckland-in-the-Moor, 14-15, photograph (Monograph). SDV361770.

The inscription was cut by W. Arthur Clements in 1928 at the behest of William Whitley, then Lord of the Manor to commemorate the rejection by Parliament of the proposed New Book of Common Prayer. Clements camped in a small hut on the edge of the woods below the beacon whilst carrying out the work.
Brown records that the Ten Commandments stone, despite having only been inscribed in the late 1920s, were very weathered around 50 years later. They were recut in the summer of 1995 and at time of writing were again very clear.

Newman, P., 2015, Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, 56 (Report - Survey). SDV359145.

Stones on Buckland Beacon inscribed with the ten commandments. SX7350073100. Two large, faced granite slabs with biblical inscriptions on the south-east side of the Buckland Beacon outcrop. Condition is stable.

Cotton, I., 2017, Conservation Report: The Ten commandment Stones, at Buckland Beacon (Report - Assessment). SDV365284.

Condition survey and restoratation of the inscription on the stone detailed in report.

Moor than Meets the Eye Project Team, 2018, Moor than Meets the Eye (Website). SDV361771.

Ten Commandment Stones Restoration Project 2017
Due to gradual deterioration of the lettering on the stones, project funds from the Moor than Meets the Eye Heritage Lottery Fund project were allocated to restore the inscription.
Work started on 22/05/2017, carried out by conservator and lettering expert, Iain Cotton. Each letter was carefully cleaned and the stones wrapped ahead of a second phase of work (starting 12/06/2017) to repaint the lettering.
The second phase of the process saw further careful cleaning before some of the lettering was re-carved to bring it back to legibility. Finally, the lettering was painted with a specially designed black paint suitable for use at high altitude and exposed weather conditions.

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

(29/08/2020) Ten Commandments Stones recorded in excellent condition.

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

Images taken during August 2020 visit.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6836 - Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape survey
• EDV8879 - Restoration of the inscription on the Ten Commandments Stone, Buckland Beacon

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