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Summary

Cairn on the summit of Ugborough Beacon, incorporates part of a granite outcrop in its structure. It consists of a rock and earth base surmounted by a mound of stones built up around the outcrop. It is 22 metres in diameter and 1.5 metres high. Visitors have repositioned some of the stones of the mound to form shelters.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012243: Cairn near summit of Ugborough Beacon

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX65NE8
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441123
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NE/206
• Old SAM Ref: 10604

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• BEACON (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

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

'Ugborough Beacon (Tumulus)' shown on 19th century map.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 140 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

Barrow on Ugborough Beacon. Tumulus marked. A cairn apparently built round a large granite outcrop.

Worth, R. H., 1941, Dartmoor: 1788 - 1808, 206 (Article in Serial). SDV160667.

Amongst the papers of John Andrews (1750-1842) found about 1941, is a copy of a map of East Hartford Moor etc. (M.11) dated by Worth to about the end of the 16th century or perhaps earlier, in which West Pigedon and East Pigedon became West Beacon and Ugborough Beacon respectively. Also amongst the papers were notes from a memorandum book of 1636 for repairs to Ugborough Beacon and from 1665 for repairs to Piggon Beacon.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 1216-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX65NE8 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV165233.

(28/03/1950) A cairn apparently built round a large granite outcrop. Diameter 21.0m, height 1.0m approximately.

Russell, P., 1955, Fire Beacons in Devon, 265, 280265, 280 (Article in Serial). SDV336138.

Listed as a fire beacon. 375m above sea level. Donn's map 1765. The confusion between east and west beacon and east and west pike is discussed (TDA 87, p.265).

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 172 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(24/06/1973) Ugborough Beacon, SX 66755911. Cairn 25 metres diameter by 2.5 metres high, built around a granite outcrop.

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

Cairn is visible on the Royal Air Force 1946 aerial photograph.

Ancient Monuments, 1990, Notes on cairns (Schedule Document). SDV165222.

Cairn. Diameter 22m; height 1.5m.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 37, 244, Map 53 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Ugborough Beacon cairn '1' at SX66745910 of 24.0 metres diameter by 1.5 metres high on the highest point of Ugborough Beacon is a disorganised mass of small stones piled around a rock outcrop. The layered slabs around the south side are probably a more recent feature.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Shown on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England, 1012243 (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

This cairn, situated very close to the summit of Ugborough Beacon, incorporates part of a granite outcrop in its structure. It consists of a rock and earth base surmounted by a mound of stones built up around the outcrop. It is 22 metres in diameter and 1.5 metres high. Visitors have repositioned some of the stones of the mound to form shelters.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, UG9 (Photograph). SDV363073.

(21/12/2018) Site photographed during condition survey visit.

Riley, H., 2021, Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Landscape, Harford and Ugborough, 12, 7.1.6 (Report - Survey). SDV364697.

Tor cairn on Western Beacon has been cut through by the 19th century granite quarry exposing its structure in places.

Riley, H., 2021, UG21 heritage asset database and gazetteer of sites (Report - Survey). SDV364699.

Visited on 22nd January 2021, surveyed and photographed. Cairn incorporating granite tor on Eastern?(Ugborough) Beacon: 26 metres diameter, 1.6 metres high, outer rim of smaller granite blocks, 1 metres high, 1 metre wide, with larger granite blocks placed around the granite outcrops. Large orthostat visible in the south side of the cairn.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8770 - Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Lanscape, Harford and Ugborough

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