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Summary

This millstone lies within an enclosure situated within a large partially enclosed settlement.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1013427: A partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement, round cairn, post medieval farmstead, millstone and stone cutting pits 580m ESE of Merrivale Bridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE5
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440035
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/369
• Old SAM Ref: 24191

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CIDER PRESS (XVII to XIX - 1700 AD (Between) to 1899 AD (Between))
• MILLSTONE (XVII to XIX - 1700 AD (Between) to 1899 AD (Between))

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1895, Second Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 87 (Article in Serial). SDV271711.

An alleged "fallen cromlech" (plotted at SX 5507496 from plan) which is actually an apple or gorse crusher of dressed stone; probably of 18th/19th century origin.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE5 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV252774.

(10/01/1980) A crushing stone, fully dressed but never removed, is at SX 55517494, within a prehistoric enclosure. It is 2.2m. in diameter and 0.3m. thick at the perimeter rising to 0.4m. thick at the centre. The flat underside rests upon granite blocks which raise it off the ground, (see photograph).
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:2500 (see illustration).

Worth, R. H., 1981, Dartmoor, 108 (1967 edition) (Monograph). SDV231173.

R H Worth describes the stone as an unfinished circular edge runner of a cider mill. (A fine black and white plate of the stone is included.)

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133501 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(11/08/1994) This millstone lies within an enclosure situated within a large partially enclosed settlement. The millstone survives as a 2.0 meter diameter and 0.3 meter thick circular slab of granite with a flat base and convex upper surface. The stone is propped on top of several smaller stones, presumably in preparation for transport. This disposition led to at least two antiquarians independently identifying the site as that of a dolmen. According to Worth, Major Hamilton Smith erroneously identified the millstone as a dolmen in the early part of the 19th century, whilst Crossing notes that Mr C. Spence Bate also believed in its funerary origin until his young son located the man responsible for making it. Both Worth and Crossing agree that the stone is an edge runner for a cider mill, though it is not clear why it was not removed. Other details: 133539.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 74 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Crossing, W., 1992, Crossing's Dartmoor Worker, 113 (Monograph). SDV351364.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2000, The Merrivale Guardianship Area, Walkhampton, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV344969.

(20/01/2000) An unfinished and abandoned granite millstone, possibly for use in an apple or gorse crusher. The dome-shaped stone has a perfectly flat underside and measures up to 2.1 meters across. The edge runner is 0.25 meters wide and the thickness of the stone (to the apex) is 0.4 meters. There is no central hole for a drive axle and the stone was presumably rejected for use because it is not circular and the rim is damaged. Other details: 440035 NMR number: SX 57 SE 5.

Dartmoor National Park + English Heritage, 2004, Merrivale: An Archaeological Landscape, 22 (Leaflet). SDV320201.

A large circular shaped block of granite supported on blocks can be seen within one of the enclosures. Although described by some of the early Merrivale recorders as the remains of a prehistoric burial cromlech, it is actually an unfinished apple or gorse crushing stone. The reason for its abandonment is unknown.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4830 - Survey of guardianship area, Merrivale

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