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Summary

Two concentric stone circles situated on a hill overlooking the valley of the river Walkham. The inner circle includes 16 stones of which only seven remain standing. A single stone to the south-west of the circle is the sole survivor of a second outer ring. The stone circles were partly restored in 1894 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee who re-erected the fallen stones and located four stones in the outer ring.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007550: Two concentric stone circles on Langstone Moor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NE13
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439606
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/20
• Old SAM County Ref: 365
• Old SAM Ref: 20380

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1895, Second Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 84 (Article in Serial). SDV271711.

Circle of 16 stones, some have been robbed for gate-posts. Outside and concentrical with it there is another circle, of which only two stones remain, but the pit hole of another and the broken top of the stone taken from it remain. These three stones are of fine grained elvan, as well as one from the inner circle. The others are made of granite. In a socket hole a burnt cooking stone was found.

Rowe, S., 1896, A Perambulation of the Royal Forest of Dartmoor and the venville precincts, 211 (Monograph). SDV249697.

The Langstone circle, diameter about 17 meters, was discovered in 1894 and restored. It consists of 16 stones, two of which are of fine sandstone, the remainder of ordinary moor-stone. There appears to have been an outer circle of which 3 stones remain on the west side.

Baring Gould, S., 1900, A Book of Dartmoor, 59, 273 (Monograph). SDV277387.

A fine circle of upright stones. It was originally double but nearly all the stones forming the outer ring have been removed. The rest were fallen but have been re-erected by the Duke of Bedford.

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

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1978, SX57NE13 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV255419.

(10/07/1950) Stone circle measuring 20.3 metres internally. Circle is badly mutilated, so seven stones are broken, four standing, one is leaning, four are fallen. The average hight of the standing stones is 1.1 metres. There is no sign of barrow inside the circle. To south-west of the circle and 2.8 metres from the circumference is a single upright stone. This is presumably one of the stones of the outer concentric circle mentioned in the Dartmoor Exploration Committee’s report.
(11/09/1978) On the flattish top of Langstone Moor at approximately 452.0m OD is the remains of a restored stone circle. It is ovoid, 21.0m by 19.0m, with irregularly placed stones of which four are erect, six fallen and the remainder reduced to stumps. They average 1.0m high and 0.5m square. The interior is devoid of detail. One erect stone of similar dimensions remains of the outer circle on the south west side, 3.0m outside the circle. The number of irregularly positioned shallow pits in the vicinity makes further identification of the outer circle indefinite.
Revised at 1:10 000 on PFD and at 1:250. See ground photograph.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/F65/58/6399, 0039-40 (Aerial Photograph). SDV255418.

Ordnance Survey, 1975, OS/75/369, 214 (Aerial Photograph). SDV254607.

Adam, N., 1978, Langstone Moor Stone Circle (Report - Survey). SDV255416.

On the flattish top of Langstone Moor is the remains of a restored stone circle. It is ovoid, 21.0 meters by 19.0 meters, with irregularly placed stones of which four are erect, six fallen and the remainder reduced to stumps. They average 1.0 meter high and 0.5 meters square. The interior is devoid of detail. One erect stone of similar dimensions remains of the outer circle on the south west side, 3.0 meters outside the circle. The number of irregularly positioned shallow pits in the vicinity makes further identification of the outer circle indefinite.

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

Not visible on the 1940s Royal Air Force vertical aerial photographs.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, Langstone Moor Stone Circle (Report - Survey). SDV255415.

Site visited on 24th August 1986. Most of the stones described above are still visible. Condition is rather poor: many stones are shattered, and there is extensive erosion (?sheep) around each stone. Traces of outer circle not observed, but not known at time of visit.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 60, 81 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Restored circle 21 meters in diameter; 16 stones, 10 fallen. Other details: G10.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 75-76, 232, Map 30, Figure 30.6 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Langstone Moor stone circle at SX566782 of 20.9 metres diameter with 16 stones. The circle was restored in 1894 but it has been sadly disfigured. During World War Two the stones were used for target practice, fracturing ten of them and overturning others so that only three now remain in position. Many of the shattered fragments lie around the site but it would be a considerable task to restore the monument to anthing like its previous appearance. The Exploration Committee in 1894 suggested the outlying slab 3 metres to the west was the remnant of an outer ring of stones. Apart from a few shallow pits the interior appears to be untouched.

Dean, R., 2003, A Gradiometer Survey at Langstone Moor Stone Circle (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV360142.

Gradiometer survey identified several anomolies in the proximity of the stone circle. Some features were identified as potential pits. Magnetic linear patterns may be indicative of remnant banks and a ditch or track. No conclusive evidence was found for an outer stone circle although a group of anomolies close to the circle should be considered for further investigation.

Newman, P., 2003, The Langstone Moor Stone Circle, Peter Tavy, Devon and its Prehistoric Environs, 2-3 (Report - Survey). SDV255420.

The circle is located on the southern side of the flattish summit of Langstone Moor ridge. The site is overlooked by Great Mistor to the South and Wittor to the North and has views of Roos Tor and Staple Tor further down the ridge and the Walkham valley at Merrivale. The view to the east is slightly restricted by the rise of Cock's Hill. Of the 16 stone of the restored circle only 11 now remain in-situ, though several of these are much shorter than they appear in Burnard's 1894 photograph, including five which can only be described as stumps. The tallest stone today stands to only 1.1 meters high though Burnard recorded stones of between 5 and 6 feet (1.5 - 1.8 meters). Fragments of the broken stones lie scattered on the ground around the erect stones. There are also five stones that are completely toppled. Of the two stones said by Baring Gould (1895) to be outside the main circle, only one remains on the west side and stands to 0.7 meters high. Some remedial work was recently carried out by the Dartmoor National Park Authority, during which erosion hollows around four of the stones were filled. Small hollows outside the circle may be ordnance impact craters.
As planned the stones form a far from perfect circle. Although it is possible that in its original form the monument was an imperfect circle, this seems unlikely and it is perhaps more credible that the stones were re-erected incorrectly.
The Stones:
1. Standing intact, 1.0 meter high. Erosion hollow recently restored.
2. Stump 0.5 meters high on rebuilt concrete base. Top section lying on ground in 3 pieces.
3. Stump 0.45 meters high. Top section lies alongside. Original height c. 1.8 meters.
4. Stump 0.2 meters high. Three small fragments on ground beside.
5. Ground level stump. Top section on ground beside, 1.2 meters long.
6. Fallen slab 1.6 meters long plus fragments.
7. Stump 0.3 meters high plus shattered pieces.
8. Stump 0.4 meters high plus shattered pieces.
9. Standing intact, 1.1 meters high. Erosion hollow recently restored.
10. Fallen slab 1.5 meters long.
11. Edge-set slab, 0.7 meters high. Loose.
12. Fallen slab 1.25 meters long.
13. Fallen slab 1.35 meters long.
14. Standing, 0.9 meters high. Erosion hollow recently repaired.
15. Fallen slab 1.85 meters long plus shattered pieces.
16. Standing, 0.9 meters high. Splintered top section. Erosion hollow recently repaired.
17. Fallen 1.25 meters long. Other details: Figures 2-4.

Newman, P., 2004, Merrivale Range Baseline Condition Survey, 10/08/2004 (Report - Survey). SDV346874.

Condition is poor, though remedial work has stabilised some of the stones.

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

Stone circle shown on survey.

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

Stone circle clearly visible on the 2010 aerial photography of Langstone Moor. 16 stones are visible with the additional stone outside the circle to the south-west. Erosion can be seen around the base of stones on the northern arc of the circle and one located in the south-western section.

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

'Stone Circle (restored)' depicted on the modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England, 1007550 (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

This monument includes two concentric stone circles situated prominently on a hill crest overlooking the valley of the river Walkham. The diameter of the inner circle is 20.4 meters and includes 16 stones of which only seven remain standing. The stones average 1.0 meters high and 0.5 meters square. A single stone standing 3.0 meters to the south-west of the circle is the sole survivor of a second outer ring. The interior of the circle is level. These stone circles were partly restored in 1894 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee who re-erected the fallen stones and located four stones in the outer ring (scheduled 1963, amended 1993). Other details: SAM ID: 20380.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Merrivale Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation, 10/01/2018 (Report - Survey). SDV361635.

Stone circle on Langstone Moor 21 metres by 19 metres with 11 standing and 6 fallen stones forming an imperfect circle. Restored in the 19th century, probably incorrectly.
Condition recorded as gradual decline; erosion hollows repaired in 2005 are again becoming problematic.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7240 - A Gradiometer Survey at Langstone Moor Stone Circle (Ref: R-DNP03-2803)
• 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

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