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Summary

Hut circle or cairn lies immediately south of an agglomerate enclosure and survives as an irregular shaped, 10 metres by 9 metres by 0.7 metres high, spread of rubble surrounding a level internal area measuring 6 metres long by 3 metres wide (1993). This monument could not be positively identified from ground evidence alone in 1999 because it had been so badly disturbed. It however shares constructional features visible in adjacent sites - some (to the north) are classified as huts, and others (to the south) as cairns. The footprint of the site tends to suggest that it is more likely to be a single or double hut rather than a heavily disturbed cairn.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014145: Three stone alignments, 15 cairns, a cist, a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement and a small clapper bridge at Drizzle Combe

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE25
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438571
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/73
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24104
• Old SAM Ref: 10723

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN? (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• HUT CIRCLE? (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 210 (Monograph). SDV231148.

"Between the ruined circle (SX 56 NE 24) and the pounds (SX 56 NE 87 & 90) are two heather grown circles (huts?)".

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56NE25 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV363538.

(27/06/1977) South-west of the enclosure (SX 56 NE 87) is an oval-shaped mass of stones, probably the remains of a Type 2 hut but with an internal diameter of approximately 5.0m. There is a possible entrance on the south-west side. (Typesite: SX 56 NE 71).
The other circle mentioned by Worth is probably the one just outside the enclosure on the south. (See SX 56 NE 87). Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

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

Possibly two hut circles visible on aerial photograph to the south of enclosure.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133428 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(12/03/1993) At SX59276720. Cairn or hut circle. Lies immediately of an agglomerate enclosure, located in the triangle of land between drizzle combe and the river plym. The structure survives as an irregular shaped, 10m by 9m by 0.7m high, spread of rubble surrounding a level internal area measuring 6m long by 3m wide.
Positive identification of this feature is not possible since it could be a hut circle or a partly robbed cairn, and its location midway between a group of cairns and stone hut circle settlement does not help to resolve this dilemma.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 128, Map 49, Figure 49.13 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Remains of a possibly double hut circle to the south of Drizzlecombe Enclosure (A).

Robertson, J. G., 1994, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym Valley, 874 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV139549.

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

The structure identifed as either a hut circle or a cairn lies at SX59276720. A second structure to the east at SX59296721 (immediately south-west of the large enclosure is recorded as part of SX 56 NE 87.
It survives as a heavily disturbed and ragged spread of turf and heather-covered material with an irregular depression in the interior. Overall it measures about 9.4m along the slope and 7.6m down the slope with on the upper side a slight bulge 4.5m across; it is up to 1.0m high. There appears to be a double-faced wall, 1.6m wide and 0.5m high on the north-west side, and traces of facing stones in the south-west. A gap in the south may be an entrance. The interior displays evidence of disturbance and interference.
It is depicted and described by Robertson (1991) as a sub-circular structure, one of a group of unenclosed huts; and by Butler (1994) as a double hut ?. Gerrard (1996) states that it is more likely to be a cairn.
(16/08/1999) This monument cannot now be positively identified from ground evidence alone because it has been so badly disturbed. It however shares constructional features visible in adjacent sites - some (to the north) are classified as huts, and others (to the south) as cairns. The footprint of the site tends to suggest that it is more likely to be a single or double hut rather than a heavily disturbed cairn.

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

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Feature visible on aerial photograph.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UP-DZ 23 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 05/02/2020. Overall condition moderate. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, UP-DZ 23 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 020° showing grass/moss and bracken cover.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 28/06/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

Scheduling amended 09/03/2001.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)

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