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Summary

Cairn of 16.0 metres diameter by 0.8 metres high to the south-west of 'White Barrow' which has been badly damaged

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020873: Cairn 690m south west of White Barrow

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NE12
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439603
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/32
• Old SAM Ref: 34448

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Neolithic - 4000 BC (Between) to 2201 BC (Between))

Full description

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

'Tumulus' shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57NE12 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV273293.

Visited 2/10/1950 A large turf covered mound, 13.5 metres in diameter. The whole of this feature has been much despoiled and the centre has been completely dug away. The mound is at its highest (0.75 metres) at the northern extreme, to the south and west extremes it is almost entirely dug away. In poor condition.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 161 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Visited 9/6/1974 Mutilated cairn, diameter 15.0 metres, height 0.8 metres.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 156931, 14/2/2002 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Cairn 700 metres south-west of White Barrow. A 7.0 metre long by 3.5 metre wide by 0.6 metres deep robber trench leads in from the south-west and another measuring 4.0 metres long by 3.0 metres wide and 0.4 metres leads in from the west-north-west. These hollows are rush filled. On the northern side of the mound are a large number of exposed stones and beyond these is a 1.4 metres wide and 0.3 metres high bank with some edge set stones which may represent the remains of a kerb.
Most of the mound is grass covered and the surrounding area is covered in thick peat deposits. Several small hollows in the vicinity are probably the result of shelling. A 2.0 by 2.0 metre irregular shaped mound adjacent to the western side of the cairn probably represents a dump from the partial robbing of the cairn.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 78, 240, Map 30, Site 14 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Cock's Hill W cairn at SX56187913 of 16.0 metres diameter by 0.8 metres high. Much of the structure has been carted away. Masses of small stones are exposed around the northern edge and the opposite side has almost gone. A deep saucer-shaped depression at the centre is nearly down to ground level.

Newman, P., 2004, Merrivale Range Baseline Condition Survey, 18/10/2004 (Report - Survey). SDV346874.

While heavily disturbed at some point in the past this feature is now grass covered and in a stable condition. What appears to be a small spoilheap lies to the west of the cairn and probably relates to the period of disturbance.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Merrivale Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation, 07/03/2018 (Report - Survey). SDV361635.

Disturbed, turf covered round cairn on Cocks Hill with traces of a kerb on the north side.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

'Tumulus' is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

The monument includes a cairn situated in a prominent position on Cocks Hill overlooking the valley of the River Tavy. The cairn survives as a stony mound measuring 15m in diameter and standing up to 0.8m high. Two separate hollows which are the result of robbing or partial early excavation lead into the mound from the south west and north west. On the northern side of the cairn the monument is denoted by a 1.4m wide and 0.3m high bank with some edge set stones which represent the site of a kerb; this survives elsewhere as a buried feature. A 2m by 2m irregularly shaped mound adjacent to the western side of the cairn represents the site of a dump created during earlier investigations. A 1.8m long by 1m wide and 0.25m deep hollow on the north western edge of the cairn represents a shell hole from military training in this area during the 20th century.

National Monument Record, 2018, Pastscape, 1979 and 2003 data (Website). SDV360651.

A turf-covered cairn situated in a crest situation at 490 metres OD. It measures 16.2 metres in diameter and is 0.7 metres high but has been much mutilated by early excavation with the centre dug out and wide trenches dug into the south and west sides. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD. See ground photograph (citing Ordnance Survey, 15/10/1979, Field Investigators Comments).
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SX 56187912. Cairn, situated on Cocks Hill. The cairn mound measures 15 metres in diameter and stands up to 0.8 metres high. Evidence for a stone kerb survives on the northern side of the mound. A hollow on the north western edge of the cairn represents a shell hole. Scheduled. Resurveyed using GPS September 2003 (citing Newman, P., 01/10/2003, English Heritage Archaeological Field Investigation).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• 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
• EDV7275 - Survey of the Langstone Moor stone circle and other prehistoric monuments nearby

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