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Summary

Hingston Hill Pound. Circular enclosure survives as a 47 metre diameter area defined by a 2.5 metre wide and 0.8 metre high double faced rubble wall. Entrance is denoted by a slab which extends through the thickness of the wall. Lies close to a cairn and stone alignment and may have been associated with these monuments.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019858: Enclosure east of Down Tor, 740m north east of Combshead Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE30
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438586
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/131
• Old SAM Ref: 24121

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• POUND (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC? (Between))

Full description

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

'Pound' shown on 19th century map as an almost circular double walled feature.

Brent, F., 1883, On a group of prehistoric remains on Dartmoor, 218 (Article in Serial). SDV273189.

Worth, R. H., 1943, The Prehistoric Pounds of Dartmoor, 274-5, Figure 2 (Article in Serial). SDV320337.

Hingston Hill Pound, east of Down Tor, is a circular enclosure whose wall consists of large stones. Entrance is marked by a slab like stone which extends through the thickness of a wall. About 100 metres from the pound in a south-eastern direction lies the centre of a cairn, circa 18 metres in diameter at the base. The Down Tor stone row points to this cairn. There is no hut circle in the pound or in the vicinity. Mean elevation of the ground is approximately 300 metres. Plan given.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1979, SX56NE30, SX56NE30 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV250566.

(09/06/1950) A circular enclosure 47.0 metres in diameter. The wall consists of rather large stones and is 3.0 metres wide. Average height 0.4 metres. There is no definite entrance. There is no evidence of habitation and both the interior and the surrounding area are stone free. This combined with its rather isolated situation suggests the possibility of a prehistoric stock pound.
(02/04/1979) On a slight west-facing slope at 375m OD is an enclosure of irregular form with straightish sides and rounded corners. Its overall diameter is 43.3m on average and its area is approximately 0.16 hectares. The walls are tumbled and spread but appear to have had an original width of 2.5m on average; the construction comprises a double row of orthostats and boulder in filling now up to 0.8m high. The entrance, on the east, is demarcated on one side by the massive slab referred to by Worth while another, now prone lies a little to the south.
There is no evidence of habitation, and both the interior and the surrounding area are stone free. This combined with its rather isolated situation suggests the possibility of a prehistoric stock pound.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

National Monuments Record, 1978, NMR SX5969, 1/294 (Aerial Photograph). SDV250567.

Photograph taken on 31st May 1978.

Worth, R. H., 1981, Dartmoor, 212 (Monograph). SDV231173.

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

Agglomerated enclosure of three elements visible on aerial photographs. Element marked on Ordnance Survey contains hut circle connected to enclosure wall by length of internal walling. Largest element to west has a large hut circle, or further element incorporated into its south wall.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130925, 25/5/1993 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Circular enclosure survives as a 47 metre diameter area defined by a 2.5 metre wide and 0.8 metre high double faced rubble wall. Entrance is denoted by a slab which extends through the thickness of the wall. Lies close to a cairn and stone alignment and may have been associated with these monuments. Circular or oval enclosures containing no huts are relatively common on Dartmoor, although most examples lie in close proximity to a settlement. A small number, however, are found in association with ritual or funerary monuments and these are consequently considered as more likely to have served a ceremonial function.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 67-68, Map 47, Figure 47.5 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Narrator Brookhead enclosure has no associated hut circles so perhaps it functioned purely as a cattle pound. Wall construction was atypical, with stones upended at all angles throughout its 3.0 metres width retaining the smaller blocks, instead of the usual vertical and layered slab-work facing. There was probably an entrance through the ruined east wall. Bounded by a conspicuous triangular block standing in place and a scarcely smaller slab now almost flat.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA163 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA163.

Newman, P., 2006, Cramber Tor Training Area Archaeological Field Investigation (Report - Survey). SDV233640.

(01/08/2006) A sub-circular enclosure with an approximately level interior and no trace of hut circles. The internal diameter is 40-43m and the enclosure covers an area of 1400m square. The wall is constructed from large moorstone blocks though now collapsed and spread and partially turf covered. The wall is up to 5m wide by 0.6m high. A possible entrance on the east side has an orthostat post in situ 1.4m high.

Probert, S., 2013, Cramber Tor Survey data (Cartographic). SDV361430.

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

Clearly visible on aerial photograph.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-DT16 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 12/07/2019. Rubble wall covered with grass and heather. Enclosure area grass covered, occasionally tussocky, with a few outcrops of reeds. Photo taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-DT16 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 12/07/2019. Photo taken showing the north side of the enclosure wall looking east

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

'Enclosure' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1019858 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes a circular enclosure situated on a gentle west-facing slope of Hingston Hill overlooking Down Tor. The enclosure survives as a 47 metres diameter area defined by a 2.5 metres wide and 0.8 metres high double faced rubble wall. The entrance is denoted by a slab which extends through the thickness of the wall. This enclosure lies close to a cairn and stone alignment which are the subject of separate schedulings, and may have been associated with these monuments.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV6034 - Monument Condition Survey in Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6152 - Follow-up Works to Threatened Sites in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6153 - Monument Baseline Condition Survey in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8711 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area

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