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Summary

Cairnfield on the western slope of White Hill with twenty six small stony mounds. They are likely to relate to the initial clearance phase in the construction of a field system - probably prehistoric stone clearance cairns

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007538: Cairnfield on the western slope of White Hill

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440758
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SW/53
• Old SAM County Ref: 585
• Old SAM Ref: 20342
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX58SW44

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRNFIELD (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2200 BC (Between) to 409 AD (Between))

Full description

Brent, F., 1891, 13th Report of the Barrow Committee, 118 (Article in Serial). SDV215463.

Cairns,The group of them west of White Hill. Some ransacked for construction of newtake wall. A 'small perfect flint knife' found near one of the barrows.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX58SW44, SX58SW44 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV215134.

(29/09/1979) A group of twenty four cairns is centred at SX 52658383 on the lower west slope of White Hill at 333m OD. All are composed of fist-size stones, now turf and heather covered. The cairns vary in diameter from 2.1m to 5.5m, and from 0.2m to 0.5m in height, (See illustration). One (A), is pear-shaped; three (B,C, & D) are elongated; the others are circular. A number have been mutilated (especially E, F & G) by excavation.
A dry watercourse (now interrupted by the leat) has scoured the surface to a depth of 0.2m and at one point (H) has exposed a 12.0m length of lynchet, formed by small stones, and traces of a clearance cairn 5.0m to the southeast. Elsewhere there are vague traces of terracing but they are so uncertain that the nature or extent of fields cannot be determined. No associated huts are evident but they
may be obscured by the turf peat.
There can be little doubt that the cairns represent prehistoric field clearance.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:1000.

Fleming, A., 1980, The Cairnfields of North-West Dartmoor, 9-12 (Article in Serial). SDV251119.

White Hill west. The cairnfield has 23 cairns, aligned on a NE-SW axis a litle to the west of a leat (SX58SW72). Most are 4.0m in diameter and the largest is 6.0m in diameter. On the evidence of the Shough Moor excavations it is suggested that these are cremation cairns.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV345608.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden visit 26th August 1982.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV345762.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visit 19th January 1983.

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

Not visible on 1940 Royal Air Force verticals.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 106-108, 242, Map 32, Figure 32.6 (Monograph). SDV219155.

White Hill W. cairn cemetery with circa 24 cairns at SX526838 of between 2.0 metres and 6.0 metres diameter by between 0.1 metres and 0.4 metres high. The Wheal Jewell Mine leat cuts through the cemetery of about two dozen mishapen and damaged cairns. One was excavated by Baring-Gould in the 19th century who subsequently doubted they were burial sites at all.

Probert, S. + Fletcher, M. + Newman, P., 1998, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon: An Archaeological survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (Report - Survey). SDV350638.

(01/08/1998) Centred SX 52648386. Twenty six stoney mounds lie on the gently sloping W flank of White Hill. The mounds, tabulated below, are all relatively small with diameters in the range of 2.1m to 6.1m and stand between 0.2m and 0.7m high. None show any evidence for the presence of cists or kerbs. Several have been disturbed by unrecorded excavations and military activity. These features lie in an area of dense heather and grass moorland, the lynchet and terracing recorded by Authority 2 could not be seen. It seems likely that these are prehistoric field clearance cairns. Two smaller cairnfields lie on the NE and S flanks of White Hill (SX 58 SW 57 and 84 respectively).
NGR, DIAMETER (OVERALL ), HEIGHT, COMMENTS:
SX5254283793 3.5m 0.4m
SX5249783862 4.15m 0.6m Slit trench E of cairn
SX5248983846 3.6m 0.3m " " " " "
SX5274783860 5.05m 0.6m
SX5273383855 4.0m 0.4m
SX5272483839 4.0m 0.3m
SX5271983834 2.6m 0.5m
SX5269383823 5.0m 0.6m
SX5270883802 2.8m 0.2m
SX5267483838 6.1m 0.8m Partially destroyed
SX5266683874 4.1m 0.6m
SX5267683867 2.6m 0.3m
SX5267283859 5.4m 0.6m
SX5266483850 3.5m 0.3m
SX5265983836 2.1m 0.4m
SX5265183848 4.75m 0.6m
SX5264383856 4.75m 0.5m
SX5262983833 4.65m 0.7m
SX5261283871 2.55m 0.6m
SX5261083858 2.65m 0.6m
SX5260283857 2.6m 0.5m
SX5260583821 3.1m 0.4m
This monument includes two cairns aligned east to west and situated on a gentle west facing slope overlooking Lydford village. The western cairn mound is ovoid in shape, is orientated east to west and measures 4m long, 2.7m wide and stands up to 0.25m high. The eastern cairn mound is sub-circular in shape, measures 5m in diameter and stands up to 0.55m high. These cairns form part of a cairnfield, including twenty-six mounds and a lynchet.

SX5257183793 3.45m 0.4m
SX5254583925 3.8m 0.4m

Probert, S., 2001, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon. Integrated Land Management Plan Implementation: Archaeological Condition Baseline Survey Appendices 2-5 (Report - Survey). SDV357727.

(08/01/2001) This extensive cairnfield is undisturbed except for a track which cuts across the SE side ( parallel to the leat).

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1007538 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

This monument includes a cairnfield situated on a gentle west-facing slope overlooking Lydford village. The monument includes twenty-one mounds and a lynchet or cultivation terrace which may be of contemporary date. Twelve of the mounds are scattered around the edge of a field, which is defined only by the location of the mounds. The remainder lie in a cluster together with the lynchet. Fifteen of the mounds are sub-circular in shape and these range in size from 2 metres to 7 metres in diameter and stand between 0.15 metres and 0.6 metres high. The remainder are ovoid in shape, and these range between 3 metres to 7 metres long, 1.5 metres to 4.5 metres wide and stand between 0.2 metres and 0.35 metres high. Six cairns have a shallow hollow in the centre of the mound, suggesting robbing or partial excavation. Some of the larger mounds are probably burial monuments; the remainder most likely represent stone clearance connected with cultivation of the area. These cairns form part of a wider cairnfield, comprising twenty-six mounds and a lynchet.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7368 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy (1998)
• EDV6663 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6664 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6665 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8141 - Condition survey of the Willsworthy Training Area

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