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Summary

Southern Hart Tor single stone row containing at least 16 stones and of 56.4 metres in length with a cairn at the east end. A tinners trench crosses towards the east end

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020129: Tinworks and other archaeological remains in the Meavy valley at Stanlake, Black Tor, Hart Tor and Cramber Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE32
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440118
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/51
• Old SAM County Ref: 302
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24106
• Old SAM Ref: 22297

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Rowe, S., 1848, Perambulation of Dartmoor, 205-6 (Monograph). SDV154476.

Spence Bate, C., 1870-1871, On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor (Article in Serial). SDV277110.

Worth, R. N., 1892, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor, 396-8 (Article in Serial). SDV237176.

(estimated 1891) Only seventeen stones in place, two other breaks apart from the adit. The greater part of this row has probably disappeared.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map, (1906)106SE (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Stone Rows' shown on early 20th century map.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 295 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

Southern row, Harter group. A single stone row, 50.3m long, probably robbed, with cairn at e end. There are gaps in this row and the stones are comparatively few. This row has a kerb of large stones and a single row extending south-south-west. Cut through by a tin adit, condition otherwise good. Row No.23.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 213 (Monograph). SDV231148.

B. A single stone row extending 165ft in a N 58o 30' E direction. At its eastern end is a barrow.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX57SE32 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV219205.

(08/07/1977) There is often confusion between this site at Black Tor, Meavy, and Black Tor, Avon. In the Transactions of the Devonshire Association Worth simply quotes Rowe's "Perambulations of Dartmoor" 1848, 168, without comment. Rowe's geographical location is correct but his descriptions of the rows is incorrect in some particulars: he states the rows are parallel and run east to west and implies that there are two cairn circles and two other cairns, evidently a duplication of description. Because of the differences Rowe's features are sometimes incorrectly assigned to Black Tor, Avon Valley, SX 6863.
Both rows are at 330m above sea level, on a slight south west slope, intersected near the north east ends by a deep east to west leat which has destroyed 8.0 to 10.0m of the rows.
B: The cairn, at SX 57727169 is 8.0m in diameter and 0.5m high from which a single row extends south west for 57.0m to SX 57657165, but it evidently originally extended beyond this point. Only eighteen stones now survive in a rather irregular line, almost all under 0.4m high, with large gaps in the row.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 174 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Emmett, D. D., 1979, Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered, 111 (Article in Serial). SDV251087.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force / National Monuments Record aerial photographs.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152536 / 130686 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(01/08/1997) Single stone alignment 360m east-south-east of Black Tor at SX 5769 7167.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 59, 204, Map 46, Figure 46.5 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Hart Tor '2' single stone row with the upper end at SX57717169. The cairn heading the single row is 7.5 metres in diameter and 0.9 metres in height with a central pit and surrounded by an outer ring of stones. The row is 61 metres long and the single stones are small and closely set.

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Hart Tor Stone Row (Personal Comment). SDV219215.

Gerrard, S., 1999, Hart Tor Stone Rows and Cairns, 9; fig 3 (Article in Serial). SDV360981.

The single row has at least 16 stones extending at 243 degrees for 56.4m from a cairn. the cairn which has been robbed measures 7.4m in diameter and up to 0.75m high.

Gerrard, S., 1999, Meavy Valley Archaeology. Interim Report for 1997, 22-3, figs 10-111 (Article in Serial). SDV225919.

Single stone row. Much less spectacular, but forms an integral part of the site. Row itself contains at least 16 stones, extending at 243 degrees for 56.4 metres from a cairn. Originally probably much longer. Maximum stone height is 0.86m, minimum is 0.08m and the average is 0.29m. Maximum distance between stone is 13.75m, minimum is 0.5m and average is 3.25m.

Fletcher, M. J., 2007-2008, Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV359195.

(07/09/2007) The cairns with the double and single stone rows are well preserved. The end of the double row occurs at a steep tinners' cliff. The monuments lie on a slight slope in open moorland that is broken up by tinners' cuttings and leats. Surveyed at 1:2500 scalez.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-96 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 01/12/2019. Overall condition good. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-96 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 065° showing grass with a little moss covering and quad bike track crossing row obliquely.

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

Southern of two 'Stone Rows' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 10020129 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

The single stone alignment lies to the south of the double row and is orientated approximately north-north-east to south-south-west and includes a 56.4 metres long row of at least 16 upright stones with an average height of 0.29 metres. The larger stones within this row lie towards the eastern end, which is denoted by a cairn. This cairn measures 8 metres in diameter and stands up to 0.8 metres high. A slight hollow in the centre of the mound suggests that this mound has also been investigated. Limited medieval/post-medieval tin-working damage and a 3 metres wide, 1.6 metres deep tin-prospecting trench crosses the site.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7517 - Survey of Hart Tor tin works
• EDV7526 - Survey of Har Tor Stone Rows and Cairns
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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