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Summary

A badly restored circle of stones on open moorland 30m north of the Brisworthy enclosed land. R H Worth estimated that, when complete, the circle would have had 42 stones, though only 24 stones were re-erected in 1909 and these remain upright today (2022). The internal diameter of the circle as restored in 1909 is a consistent 24m, though a couple of the stones are slightly misplaced, and the tallest stone stands to 1.4m, while the shortest is 0.3m. Most of the missing stones have been removed from the southern arc of the circle, where disturbed ground in the form of small, partly turf-covered stone heaps and generally undulating ground, including a shallow pit, may indicate that the robbing of these stones was relatively recent, probably associated with the building of the Brisworthy enclosure walls. Surveyed at 1:200 using GPS, 2 April 2022.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012227: Brisworthy stone circle

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE64
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438683
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/5
• Old SAM County Ref: 320
• Old SAM Ref: 10594

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

Shown as 'Hut Circle' on 19th century map with a double ring of stones.

Worth, R. N., 1895, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor: Part 4, 440-441 (Article in Serial). SDV273221.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Shown as 'Stone Circle' on early 20th cenury map with a double ring of stones.

Worth, R. H., 1916, 35th Report of the Barrow Committee, 99-100 (Article in Serial). SDV260563.

Brisworthy Stone Circle. Charcoal and one rough flake found on excavation. Cairn about 100m away from it, which covered an interment after a cremation. Brisworthy Circle restored in 1909. Before the restoration, there were four erect stones and 18 fallen stones, with two others indicated by triggers and one more by a pit. Stones on southern side of circle had been robbed to make a stone fence. Should have been 42 stones.24 stones have now been re- erected. Plan. OS 6" 62 SE. Diameter 24.4m, maximum height 1.2m.

Brailsford, J. W., 1938, Bronze Age Stone Monuments of Dartmoor, 448 (Article in Serial). SDV304210.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX56NE64 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV260573.

(01/06/1950) Stone circle. 24 stones remain upright. The larges measures 1.4 metres high by 0.9 metres, the smallest 0.3 metres high by 0.6 metres. Internal diameter of the stone circle, north-south 23.8 metres, east-west 24.0 metres.
Site visit 27th June 1977. The restored stone circle now comprises a slightly ovoid setting of 24 upright stones, mean diameter 24 metres.
(27/06/1977) This stone circle stands on a south east facing slope at 270m OD. It comprises a slightly ovoid setting of 24 upright stones which are probably only half the original number. The survivors are placed very regularly, the largest measuring 1.4m x 0.9m x 0.7m high, the smallest 0.3m x 0.6m x 0.2m high. The mean internal diameter of the circle is 24.0m
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD with amendments to pre-restoration survey.

Pettit, P., 1974, Prehistoric Dartmoor, 141 (Monograph). SDV231149.

Burl, A., 1977, Stone Circles of the British Isles, 113-115 (Monograph). SDV260575.

Thom, A. + Thom, A. S., 1980/1981, Stone Monuments, 108-9 (Article in Serial). SDV260570.

The circle has been re-surveyed by Professor Thom. (See illus card 2)

Balaam, N. D. + Smith, K. + Wainwright, G. J., 1982, The Shaugh Moor Project: Fourth Report - Environment, Context and Conclusion, 255 (Article in Serial). SDV145845.

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

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visit 7th August 1983.

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

Recorded on aerial photograph project.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 55, 80, G8 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Diameter 24 metres. 25 stones standing. Restored. Area had been levelled artificially to increase circle platform.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 144-5, Map 49, Figure 49.21 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Brisworthy Stone Circle at SX564645 of 25 metres diameter with five of the original circa 40 stones remaining on the ridge above Brisworthy.

Probert, S., 2005, Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV363484.

(09/02/2005) This feature is generally as described by the Ordnance Survey (1977) though now possesses 25 in situ stones.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Shown on survey.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour aerial photography for Dartmoor (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

'Stone Circle' is depicted on the modern digital mapping.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England, 1012227 (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

Large circular arrangements of upright stones set into the ground were built for ceremonial or funerary purposes. On Dartmoor they are often found in association with stone alignments and burial monuments. They are thought to date mainly to the Bronze Age, and specifically to the late third or second millennium BC.
The Brisworthy stone circle stands close to a cairn and within a few hundred metres of a stone alignment, near the boundary of enclosed farmland north- east of Brisworthy. It was re-erected in 1909, at which time there were four stones standing and eighteen fallen and possible traces of three others. In its restored form it is 27 meters by 24 meters in diameter and consists of twenty-four stones from 0.3 meters to 1.4 meters in height and from 0.6 meters to 0.9 meters in width. Worth suggests that there would have been forty-two stones originally; the present gaps on the south side are probably the result of robbing during the building of the enclosure wall to the south. (Scheduled in 1953, amended 1991) Other details: SAM ID: 10594.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UPRM-11 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(20/05/2019) Condition assessed as ?very good by volunteer recorders, although some damage from livestock and visitor pressures noted.

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

Feature photographed in May 2019.

Newman, P., 2022, Ringmoor Down Premier Archaeological Landscape Dartmoor National Park, Devon. A new survey, Table 1 (Report - Survey). SDV365490.

Brisworthy stone circle. A restored circle of stones on open moorland 30m north of the Brisworthy enclosed land.
256467 65487. Brisworthy stone circle. A badly restored circle of stones on open moorland 30m north of the Brisworthy enclosed land. R H Worth estimated that, when complete, the circle would have had 42 stones, though only 24 stones were re-erected in 1909 and these remain upright today. The internal diameter of the circle as restored in 1909 is a consistent 24m, though a couple of the stones are slightly misplaced, and the tallest stone stands to 1.4m, while the shortest is 0.3m. Most of the missing stones have been removed from the southern arc of the circle, where disturbed ground in the form of small, partly turf-covered stone heaps and generally undulating ground, including a shallow pit, may indicate that the robbing of these stones was relatively recent, probably associated with the building of the Brisworthy enclosure walls. Surveyed at 1:200 using GPS, 2 April 2022.

National Monuments Record, 24/06/1952, SX5665/5/4, SX5665/5/4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV260578.

Photograph taken on 24th June 1952.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7443 - Condition survey of archaeological sites in Ringmoor Training Area
• EDV7569 - Condition survey of Ringmoor Down training area
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8375 - Re-erection of the stones, Brisworthy Stone Circle
• EDV8917 - Survey of the archaeological features on Ringmoor Down

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