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Summary

Hut circle to the north of the Saddlesborough reave in the Shaugh Moor field system. A hut circle partially robbed which measures 10.7 metres (north-south) by 11.7 metres, has an internal diameter of 7.2 metres. Levelled into the hillslope it is built from large facing slabs and boulders although most have fallen and the west side has been effaced. The position of the entrance is not obvious.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002520: Hut circles W of Saddlesborough
• SHINE: Bronze age landscapes on Shaugh Moor and Wooter Moor comprising earthworks and walling of enclosures, hut circles, cairns, stone circles and rows, reaves and field systems, and medieval and post medieval field systems

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE44
• National Monuments Record: SX56SE49
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439235
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439248
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/320
• Old SAM County Ref: 431

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1980, SX56SE49 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV150218.

(11/10/1950) Four hut circles, one lying outside the northern boundary of the fields.
(04/09/1980) A rather ruinous but large hut 8.00 in diameter and wall 2.00m thick in which are set many large orthostats. The western half of the hut wall has been removed but the entrance appears to have been orientated south-west. It is sited to the north of the main Saddlesbrough reave on ground sloping gently from east to west. ('A').
Three huts, A, C, and D (see plan) are of Type 2 (SX 56 NE 71) with internal diameters ranging between 7.3m. and 8.3m. and double walling from 1.4m. to 1.8m. wide and up to 1.1m. high. Where visible entrances are to the SW and SE. 'A' outside the field system is much robbed. Hut 'B' is of Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19) and has an internal diameter of 2.9m. The apparently single walling is now represented by five stones around the perimeter with maximum height of 0.4m. Condition poor. (See SX 56 SE 78 for associated field system).
Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/58/6399, RAF/58/6399 F64 0381-0382 02-JUL-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363068.

A C-shaped bank is visible.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 208 (Monograph). SDV337618.

(SX 55426343) There is a hut circle within ten feet and to the south of the retaining circle of the stone row (SX 56 SE 45) on Shaugh Moor.
This hut circle is now recorded as part of a group, see SX 56 SE 49 (1997 survey).

Price, D. G., 1973, Ancient fields on Shaugh Moor, 90 map (Article in Serial). SDV147593.

National Monuments Record, 1978, NMR SX5563, 3/223 (Aerial Photograph). SDV152488.

Collis, J., 1983, Field Systems and Boundaries on Shaugh Moor and at Wotter, Dartmoor, 59 60 fig 6 (Article in Serial). SDV144058.

House "D". If it is a house, it overlies reave (SX56SE-115) and is approximately 3.0 metres in diameter. Reave robbed in this area, perhaps for the construction of the huts.

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

Hut circle visible on aerial photographs and recorded in project.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 103-4, Map 48, Figure 48.4 & 48.5 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Hut circle '4' of 8.0 metres diameter within Settlement 'D' on the north side of the Saddlesborough reave has been robbed of more than half its wall on the east side.

Fletcher, M. + Probert, S., 1998, Shaugh Moor, Devon: An Archaeological Survey (Report - Survey). SDV343481.

(Visited 02/12/1997) Centred at SX 5542 6338. A row of four hut circles situated on a west-facing hillslope in moorland lie between 258 metres and 267 metres above OD. Three of the huts which occur within the parallel reave system (SX 56 SE 78) almost certainly pre-date it as does the fourth hut which lies in isolation beyond the terminal reave.
SX 5541 6340. A hut circle partially robbed which measures 10.7 metres (north-south) by 11.7 metres, has an internal diameter of 7.2 metres. Levelled into the hillslope it is built from large facing slabs and boulders although most have fallen and the west side has been effaced. The position of the entrance is not obvious.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5563 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A C-shaped stony bank is visible.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5663 01-JUN-2002 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A C-shaped stony bank is visible.

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

Half a hut circle shown on survey.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5563 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

A spread bank is identifiable as an earthwork.

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

Clearly visible on the aerial photography.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, SM-40 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 20/10/2019. Site description is good. No real damaging agents. Walkers, cyclists and horse riders pass through and by the site. The area is lightly grazed. Just south of site is a wide lightly used path which is grassed with no obvious wear. Overall condition good. Photo x3 taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, SM-40 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo 1: Overall view looking N. Photo 2: Overall view looing E. Photo 3: View of track passing S of hut circle looking SE.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

A bank up to circa 2.5m wide is visible as a reverse C-shaped earthwork under scrub vegetation on aerial photographs of 1964, enclosing a roughly circular hollow or terrace up to circa 6m across on the north-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor.
The bank remains visible as an earthwork on visualisations derived from low resolution lidar data captured in 2013, which might support the interpretation that a bank survives to the west of the hollow as a low, spread feature.
The bank and hollow are more clearly visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2002 to 2016, on which stone settings are also identifiable within surviving, south-eastern section of bank.
The visible earthwork is interpreted as the remains of a hut circle of Bronze Age date that probably predates the adjacent reave earthwork.

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

Hut circle shown on modern mapping

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1002520 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

The monument includes four stone hut circles with parts of the Saddlesborough reave and the Shaugh Moor coaxial field system on a hillside overlooking the Plym Valley. The four stone hut circles straddle the Saddlesborough reave and three are within narrow rectangular fields which form part of the Shaugh Moor coaxial field system. The northern stone hut circle survives outside the field system. The stone hut circles vary in size from 4 metres to 8 metres in diameter internally and are composed of a combination of rubble and double stone faced walls standing up to 2 metres wide and 1 metre high.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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