See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Northern section of the Great Western Reave at White Tor (also known as Whittor). Reave runs in a roughly north-east by south-westerly direction and is in two sections; there is a large gap over the summit of White Tor, where the hillfort (White Tor Camp) is located.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1003184: Enclosures and hut circles N of White Tor
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of prehistoric reaves and settlements around White Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NW14
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439762
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/11

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• REAVE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1899, Sixth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 148, Plan (Article in Serial). SDV344950.

There is a reave or track-line leading up from the south, and this is continued for some distance north of the tor.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57NW14 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV225271.

Site visit 15th July 1950. This appears to be one of the numerous reeves or old boundary banks which are found on Dartmoor. It is composed on earth and stones and varies in width from 2 metres to 4 metres. Average height 0.6 metres.

Royal Air Force, 1964, 58/6399, F65 0041-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV225273.

National Monuments Record, 1977, NMR SX5377, 2/245 (Aerial Photograph). SDV228503.

National Monuments Record, 1977, NMR SX5479, 2/235 (Aerial Photograph). SDV226229.

Fleming, A., 1978, The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor. Part 1: South Dartmoor, 97-123 (Article in Serial). SDV235265.

The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England Aerial Photograph Unit, 1985, The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England Aerial Photograph Project (Interpretation). SDV340940.

Main reave travelling roughly north-south from SX54137862, a point just to the west of White Tor Camp, to SX54097820, where it curves south-east. Enters Newtake Fields at SX54277788.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(30/08/1991) It is constructed of rough uncoursed rubble stones and large boulders now partly turf-covered, 0.3 to 0.9m high and 4 to 5m wide. At SX 5438 7884 a slight lowering and sparsity of stones, to the immediate south of the junction of subsidiary enclosures of the settlement, suggests there may have been a break or entrance here. At SX 5436 7882 several larger stones and boulders are irregularly aligned suggesting a crude attempt to form a face along the north side, the only place where evidence of this nature was seen. At SX 5434 7882 it is joined by a parallel reave (SX 57 NW 85, E) which forms the south wall of the quadrant settlement. From SX 5434 7882 southwards it continues up the higher slopes of White Tor following a sinuous course through the clitter to peter out at SX 5425 7877. In this length it is constructed of piled boulders 0.3m to 1m high and 3m to 4m wide. It re-commences at a rock face at SX 5418 7857 on the southern slopes of White Tor. At SX 5416 7857 it is approached through thick clitter from the south-west by a stony bank from the prehistoric settlement SX 57 NW 64, but this stops about 10m short. From here it runs down the southern slopes of White Tor to the Colly Brook at SX 5427 7788. It is a stony bank up to 0.5m high and 2m to 3m wide, which follow a sinuous course. From SX 5427 7788 southwards to SX 5417 7769 there is no longer any definite trace of its course through an area of old tin-workings on the south side of Colly Brook. (See SX 57 NW 30 for continuation of this reave). (

Fleming, A., 1988, The Dartmoor Reaves: Investigating Prehistoric Land Divisions, 43 (Monograph). SDV229071.

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

Short length of the Great Western Reave running from SX54347881 to SX54397888. Partly overlies enclosure.

Newman, P., 2003, The Langstone Moor Stone Circle, Peter Tavy, Devon and its Prehistoric Environs, Fig. 2 (Report - Survey). SDV255420.

A short section of the reave is shown on the English Heritage Survey from SX54287788 to SX54217802.
Section of reave shown on the English Heritage survey of 2003 running north-east from SX54277876 to SX54447898 with a small enclosure at SX54397887.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

'Boundary work' is depicted on the modern mapping.

National Monument Record, 2016, Pastscape (Website). SDV359354.

[Part of] the Great Western Reave, the longest reave known on Dartmoor, circa 10 kilometres in length. A linear reave runs up the south slope of White Tor from the Colly Brook (SX54277787) following a sinuous course in the lower slopes, then curving slightly to where it ends at a rock face (SX54187857).
On the lower stretch of the south slope it is seen as a stony bank some 2.0 - 3.0 metres wide and up to 0.5 metres high. Higher up and on the north slope it consists of piled-up boulders about 3.0 - 4.0 metres wide and varying in height from 0.3 - 1.0 metres. Terminal reaves branch off from this linear reave, one at SX54157811 in a south-westerly direction and the other at SX54387879 in a north-westerly direction (citing Ordnance Survey Archaeological Division field investigation 24/10/1978).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7275 - Survey of the Langstone Moor stone circle and other prehistoric monuments nearby
• EDV7441 - Condition survey of the archaeological sites of Merrivale Training Area
• EDV7570 - Condition survey of Merrivale Range training area
• EDV8713 - Merrivale Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.