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Summary

Single stone row north-west of Sharpitor. Adjacent to a double row (MDV3762) which ends in a cist. Alignment includes thirty stones forming an 82.5 metre long row standing between 0.1 metres and 0.4 metres high. The eastern end of this row lies close to the blocking stone.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007422: Two stone alignments and a round cairn 390m NW of Sharpitor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE118
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440366
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/26
• Old SAM County Ref: 830
• Old SAM Ref: 22283
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX57SE49

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• STONE ALIGNMENT (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. N., 1894, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 3., 302-3 (Article in Serial). SDV234309.

Single stone row, Sharpitor. Two fragmentary stone rows near Princetown road, a double and a single row (the double row is MDV3762).

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 91 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Near the double stone row which ends in a cist (SX 57 SE 48) is a single row.

Beckerlegge, J. J., 1939, Eighth Report of the Plymouth and District Branch, 181 (Article in Serial). SDV149484.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 296, Row no. 25 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

Starting about 2.5 metres from the last stones of MDV3762 is a line of three set stones which, if produced, would cut through the other row. Many surface stones make finding the continuation of the line difficult. Direction of the length north 48 degrees east.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE49 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272418.

(26/8/1950) There is no sign of either of the two additional rows mentioned in the text by Breton, but there is a vast quantity of stone scattered over this area, none of which appears to conform to any linear feature.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 214 (Monograph). SDV337618.

Eight or none feet south from the last stones of row 24 (i.e. SX 57 SE 49) is a small set stone which with two other set stones certainly seem the commencement of a row which trends more to the north (N 48o E) and would cross row 24 between the blocking stone and the cairn (SX 57 SE48). The difficulty is to find a certain continuation; there are too many surface stones which confuse the issue.

Emmett, D. D., 1979, Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered, 111 (Article in Serial). SDV251087.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE118 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272541.

(28/5/1980) Worth (1967) seems to have considered that the row ran in a north-east direction beyond the three stones while Crossing (1965) implies a row of more than three stones.
It is not possible to resolve the problem with certainty but with a very little selectivity a single row of stones can be traced to the south-west of Worth's three.
From its western end at SX 55707061 it extends for 82.5 metres to SX55777065 on a very slight north-east slope, at about 368 metres ordnance datum and in a direction 58 degrees west of true North. Although there are no identifiable remains on the ground, which is much cut up by hollow ways etc., a continuation of a further 64.0 metres would lead towards a cairn and cist (MDV3769), save for a northward bend in the last 10.0 metres.
A total of thirty stones can be identified, of which nine slab and post stones are fallen and/or displaced from the alignment (see plan). A further twenty stones are 0.1 metre high or less and the only prominent one is a block, 0.4 metres high, a possible blocking stone at the southwestern terminal.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on M.S.D. and at 1:2500 and 1:500 for record purposes.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV342809.

Visited 27/4/1982 and 20/7/1982.

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

Visited 19/1/1983.

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

Not visible on National Monuments Record or Royal Air Force aerial photographs.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Visited 6/3/1986.

Gibson, A. M. Dr., 1988, Sharpitor Stone Row survey details (Worksheet). SDV272419.

The Sharpitor stone row was resurveyed on the 15/06/1988 following an English Heritage Monument Protection Programme (MPP) visit. The survey aimed to clarify the details of the row(s) as recorded in the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR; now known as the Historic Environment Record, or HER) as Worth recorded a single and double row in 1893 but the Ordnance Survey visit in 1950 could only identify one row with certainty (although Gibson appears unaware of the 1980 Ordnance Survey record of both rows; comment by Griffith, F. M. on worksheet).
During the site visit, a continuation of the double row was noted linking the row to the retaining circle and cist to the east of what was considered to be the terminal and the single row mentioned by Worth was identified.
The single row mentioned by Worth is visible to the south of the blocking stone B running from C to D at an angle of 240 degrees from D. Seven standing stones, one fallen and two buried stones are easily identifiable before the row runs into a disturbed area.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 1992 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Row is 82.5 metres long with 30 stones standing up to 0.4 metres high.

Turton, S. D., 1993, Archaeological Assessment of SWW Dousland to Rundlestone Water Main, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV249910.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 44-6, Map 45, Figure 45.7 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Sharpitor N W '2'. The single row is oriented at an angle across the north-east end of the adjacent double stone row but the remains are very slight. Only about 10 stones can be identified with certainty and half of these are either buried or just showing. How far it continued is uncertain but there is now no sign of a cairn in either direction.
Butler believes that neither stone row was associated with the retaining circle and cist downslope to the east of the rows (MDV3769).

Fletcher, M. J., 2007-2008, Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV359195.

(17/05/2007) A bronze age single stone row oriented north-east by south-west at a very slight angle to the north-east end of the adjacent double stone row. The large scale survey dated 1980 shows a total of thirty stones whilst in 1994 it was reported that only about 10 stones can be identified with certainty and half of these are either buried or just showing. The row is partially obscured by moorland grass and the area is heavily disturbed by grazing animals and walkers tracks. The extent of the row is unclear and there is no ground evidence of an associated cairn or a blocking stone. Heavy wear and tear of the fragile peat cover has caused many natural moorland stones to be exposed on the line of the row.
Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

'Stone row' is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 16/08/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

This monument includes two roughly parallel stone alignments and a round cairn situated on a gently sloping hillside overlooking the valley of the River Walkham. The round cairn stands at the south-western end of two rows of stones, one row arranged in pairs (a double stone alignment), and the other row comprising single stones.
The single alignment includes thirty stones forming an 82.5m long row standing between 0.1m and 0.4m high. The eastern end of this row lies close to the blocking stone.
Despite evidence for partial excavation of the cairn and limited robbing of the stone alignments, the two stone alignments and round cairn 390m NNW of Sharpitor survive comparatively well and form an important constituent part of a diverse group of monuments including contemporary settlements, field systems, ritual and other funerary sites.

Newman, P., 2019, An Archaeological Survey of an area of Walkhampton Common, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, Appendix, Figures 4 & 6 (Report - Survey). SDV363478.

A single stone row located on the gentle western slope of Walkhampton Common, 600 metres north-east of Horseyeat. The row is oriented approximately south-west to north-east and measures 126 metres long. The north-east terminal is formed by a low, stony round cairn of 8.8 metres diameter (see MDV5011). The south-west terminal is formed by an upright stone of 1.3 metres high, which is notably higher than any other surviving stones within the row. The row comprises 42 upright stones surviving in situ, the tallest of which is 0.8 metres high, and nine stones which are recumbent or leaning but approximately still in place. An additional six fallen or displaced stones lie approximately within the alignment and may have originally been components of it. Several of the in-situ upright stones are disguised by vegetation. The average spacing between surviving stones is 1.2 metres, though some are less at 0.9 metres. Near the south-west terminal, flowing water from the Black Brook has scoured a shallow, 13.5 metres wide channel across the row, displacing some of the stones though others survive. Adjacent to the southern edge of the channel, a stony linear boundary, or reave (MDV61949), of probable prehistoric date, transects the row, not far from the terminal stone. Although a number of stones are missing, the remaining monument is in fair condition with a high number of the surviving stones remaining upright.

Newman, P., 2019, Walkhampton Common Survey data (GIS and Excel Spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV363701.

Stones of the row shown on survey.

Edwards, M. + Trick, S., 2021, An Archaeological magnetometer and resistance survey Goadstone Pool North (site B) and South (site C) Stone Rows, 7, figs 2-5 (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV365149.

The survey in 2021 was successful in detecting and locating anomalies of possible and likely archaeological origin, but was unable to ascertain whether the stone rows continue north-east towards cairn MDV3769, although possible anomalies may indicate buried stones, including one close to the eastern cairn.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8225 - Survey of an area of Walkhampton CommonSurvey of an area of Walkhampton Common
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8849 - Geophysical survey of the Goadstone Pool Stone Rows (Ref: 2010DAR(B,C)-R-1)

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