See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Settlement on Smeardon Down, all rather indistinct. This site is included in the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites. The settlement consists of fourteen hut circles (1-14) scattered throughout the field system. There may have been more huts but these are now probably reduced to vague cleared areas. The huts are invariably formed by circular platforms, built up, levelled and cut into the slope and edged by turf-covered rubble walls. They range from 4.8m to 8m diameter within walls 1m to 2m wide and 0.2m to 1m high. Seven of the huts have identifiable entrances, predominantly in the south-west. Huts 7, 8, 9 and 13, are well defined but 3, 4 and 14, have been heavily robbed and are now barely discernible. Hut 1 falls within the enclosed pasture, separated from its neighbour (2) by an enclosure wall. A lynchet runs off from the south-west of the hut and on its east side the hut is set up against a field wall. This field wall continues northwards and, together with a similar parallel wall some 60m to the east, indicates the system continues down the slopes to the north and west into rough scrubland. (This area within the modern fields was not investigated). Huts 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7, are attached to field walls, whilst huts 1, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 13, are set within fields.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks of a prehistoric settlement on Smeardon Down comprising hut circles, enclosure and field system

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NW103
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440008
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/89
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX57NW103

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1975, OS/75/369, 172 (Aerial Photograph). SDV254607.

A series of fields are visible on Smeardon Down (SX520780) on the Ordnance Survey air photographs.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57NW103 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV346367.

(14/10/1980) A field system, centred at SX 52107813 extends over about 16.5 hectares of Smeardon Down with a spinal E to W bank linking rock outcrops along the summit.
From the top, fields can be traced for 100 to 150m. down the S side, though dense bracken precludes a comprehensive assessment, and a similar distance down the N side. Here it is quite evident that it formerly extended much further, for a few denuded banks and lynchets occur within the enclosed agricultural area for at least another 150m.
The fields are mainly rectilinear so far as surface irregularities allow and vary between 0.35 and 0.7ha. with occasional sub divisions down to 0.15ha.
The walls are invariably of loosely piled stones 1.3m. wide and 0.2m. to 0.3m. high; on the slopes most have developed into lynchets.
So far as can be seen settlement associated with the system is a few widely spaced huts (SX 57 NW 72, 73 etc)
Area delineated on Field Sheet.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(12/07/1991) An unenclosed settlement and associated field system on Smeardon Down. This prominent high ground, a westward projecting dolerite hillspur in the metamorphic aureole surrounding the central western extremity of the Dartmoor granite, reaches a summit of 334m OD at SX 5229 7814. It extends about 1km E-W by 500m (some 40 ha in area), and is entirely surrounded by modern intake, predominantly pasture farmland. The vegetation is primarily rough grass, closely cropped by grazing sheep; bracken with occasional scrub and gorse is scattered around the lower southern slopes. Across the spine of the spur there are rocky dolerite outcrops extending to Boulters Tor in the extreme east. Areas of clitter (scree weathered from the tors) occur across the slopes beneath the outcrops.
SETTLEMENT
The settlement consists of fourteen hut circles (1-14) scattered throughout the field system. There may have been more huts but these are now probably reduced to vague cleared areas. The huts are invariably formed by circular platforms, built up, levelled and cut into the slope and edged by turf-covered rubble walls. They range from 4.8m to 8m diameter within walls 1m to 2m wide and 0.2m to 1m high. Seven of the huts have identifiable entrances, predominantly in the south-west. Huts 7, 8, 9 and 13, are well defined but 3, 4 and 14, have been heavily robbed and are now barely discernible. Hut 1 falls within the enclosed pasture, separated from its neighbour (2) by an enclosure wall. A lynchet runs off from the south-west of the hut and on its east side the hut is set up against a field wall. This field wall continues northwards and, together with a similar parallel wall some 60m to the east, indicates the system continues down the slopes to the north and west into rough scrubland. (This area within the modern fields was not investigated). Huts 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7, are attached to field walls, whilst huts 1, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 13, are set within fields.
At SX 5216 7810 set on a gentle south-west slope beneath an outcrop is a roughly oval-shaped enclosure (previously SX 57 NW 72). It measures about 11.5m N-S by 10m within a turf-covered rubble wall 0.5m maximum height 1.2m to 2m wide. Set inside the curve of the north wall is a hut circle (5), with a possible entrance in its west side. The hut wall in the south is no longer evident. At the south end of the enclosure, built up the slope to the east, is a similarly constructed rectangular rubble-walled feature about 9m E-W by 3m internally. At its west end there is a rubble scarp connecting it to the enclosure whilst its east end is formed by a field wall. Its purpose and relationship to the enclosure is not entirely clear but it appears to be contemporary.
At SX 5225 7790 a small irregular-shaped group of structures (15-17), is levelled into the south slope some 20m northwest of huts 8 and 9. Constructed from the clitter that surrounds the area, it is in a very dilapidated overgrown condition making exact measurement and interpretation difficult.
The main feature seems to have been feature 15 and consists of an oval platform 8.5m E-W by 6m internally. This is edged around the northern uphill side by a collapsed rubble wall, now reduced to a scarp 1.8m wide 0.9m high. At its east end it is spread and obscured by an apparent clearance heap, 5m in diameter. From this north-east corner the wall, now 4m wide and up to 0.8m high, turns south down the slope. An upright stone slab, 0.6m high and 0.5m by 0.2m, is set in its centre. Across the south of the oval platform the wall, now roughly faced on its lower side, is 2.2m wide and 0.8m high. The west end curves towards a funnelled entrance 2.2m wide. The south side of this entrance is well defined by an inner face on its north side, however the northern side of the entrance is indistinct. Some 20m further to the west are the remains of another sub-circular enclosure (16), measuring 6.5m N-S by 5m inside a crude turf-covered boulder wall 1.5m wide 0.4m high. Its north end is open. The south-west side merges into a field wall running northwards up the steepening slope. It is difficult to ascertain if these features, (15 and 16), were buildings or small enclosures.
Abutting the south side of feature 15 is another structure (17). It is rectangular in shape and 4.2m E-W by 2.7m internally, with possibly a rounded west end. Its outer south and east sides appear to have been recently cleared giving a ditch-like appearance. This structure appears to be fairly modern and may have been formed out of the debris of feature 15 utilising its southern wall.
These structures are contained within an irregular-shaped angular enclosure crossing the rising slope on its north side. It is formed by a crude clitter wall which has collapsed in places to a rubble scarp. The north-east angle forms a small court, some 22m E-W by 10m internally, which is entered from the south alongside the east of structures 15 and 17. There is a similar sized court on the south-west with entrance gap to the east of 16.
As stated, interpretation of these structures, and determination of their exact origin and purpose is difficult. Their closeness to huts 8 and 9, the appearance of the features 15 and 16, its connection to field walls on the east and the west, all suggest it may originally have been contemporary with the field system, and reused at a later period.
Some 50m along the slope to the east at SX 5231 7788 is a rectangular platform (18) skirted on the north by a disused leat. It measures 8.7m N-S by 5m between the centres of a predominantly turf wall now collapsed to a scarp 0.7m high 1.6m wide at best. The interior has a gentle N-S slope, no entrance is evident. Its purpose and origin are unknown but it may well be associated with the possible re-use of the nearby structures (15-17).
See RCHME Smeardon Down plan (1/2500 scale).
A table of further information on the settlement is held in the archive.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 89, Map 31, 11 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Prehistoric homestead situated in the southern shelter of a rock ridge forming the backbone of Smeardon Down. A single line of slabs forms the boundary around what appears to be a large oval hut (8.0 by 10.0 metres) with a rubble wall and uneven interior, which is approached by a passageway 2.0 metres wide. An embanked pit on the summit east of the enclosure connected to the nearest stack by a bank and ditch may be the remains of a second hut, or possible a very damaged cairn. Also on the summit further east is a semi-circular enclosure probably associated with the homestead, its rubble bank no more than 0.3 metres high and cut through by a newtake wall on the north side.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

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

Remains of an enclosure and field boundaries faintly visible on the aerial photography.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.