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Summary

Stone alignment on Higher White Tor surviving as two parallel rows of stones aligned roughly north-south. The alignment is 95.4 metres long and contains twelve upright stones and 24 recumbent ones.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020239: Stone alignment 260m south of Higher White Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NW6
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442525
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NW/3
• Old SAM County Ref: 914
• Old SAM Ref: 34434.01

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1898, 5th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 98 (Article in Serial). SDV265401.

Remains of a double stone row running 330ft. north north east to south south west along the ridge between Higher White Tor and Longford Tor and unusually near the clitter of stones on Higher White Tor. There are twenty five extant stones varying in height from a few inches to three feet.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1978, SX67NW6 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV265388.

(26/6/1950) No trace of this supposed stone row could be found.
(04/10/1978) At SX 61917832 on the south-facing slope of Higher White Tor at 495.0 to 480.0m O.D. are the remains of a double stone row (see plan). The stones which can be positively identified cover a length of 95.0m. consisting of seven in the west now and nine in the east. At the north end it is now impossible to differentiate between natural boulders and recumbent members of the row. Seven stones are in an upright position, the maximum height being 0.8m. The orientation of the row from the south end is 130 east from Grid North.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD and at 1:100 for AO Records.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 246 (addendum) (Monograph). SDV337618.

This row does not exist. Some naturally disposed rocks from the clitter nearby have been mistaken for a row.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, Row No. 54a. (Monograph). SDV337618.

On hill at back of Powder Mills is a newtake wall which must be crossed to reach the ridge connecting Longford Tor and Higher White Tor. On the ridge are the remains of a double stone row. No trace of a cairn. Ten stones remain in the south row, 15 in the north row. It ends in an earthfast stone at the north-north-eastern extremity. Pillaged for newtake wall. This row has been rehabilitated by worth as conforming to his criteria. The minimum certain length is 70m, possibly extending another 4.5m uphill and another 15m downhill. This is the second highest row on Dartmoor, exceeded only by that on Conies Down (SX57NE/27).

Ancient Monuments, 1978/2002, Schedule note (Schedule Document). SDV265384.

(19/02/1973) stone row south west of higher white tor. Five stones remain standing of this moorland stone row and four stones are possibly fallen uprights. All the stones are of granite and stand between 1m - 1.5m. In height. The monument holds the distinction of being the stone row at the highest altitude on Dartmoor. The stones are disposed irregularly over a distance of some 72m.
(11/02/2002) SX 61907831. A Late Neolithic stone alignment on Higher White Tor, surviving as two parallel rows of stones aligned roughly north-south. The alignment is 95.4 metres long and contains twelve upright stones and 24 recumbent ones. Scheduled.

Emmett, D. D., 1979, Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered, 111 no.71 (Article in Serial). SDV251087.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 426 (Monograph). SDV249702.

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

Not visible on RAF 1951 aerial photograph.

Department of Environment, 1987, SMC Letter (Correspondence). SDV265404.

(08/01/1987) SMC granted for reassembly of stone.

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

(24/05/1989) Double stone row situated at SX 61907830 in coarse grass and light clitter on a moderate S slope 200m SSW of Higher White Tor. The row is now incomplete at both ends. The remaining portion is aligned between Higher White Tor, running directly across the contours at a bearing of 199 degrees 30 mins magnetic. It is at least 88.6m long, taking stones A and P as certain survivors. Any continuation beyond this length is now pure guesswork, especially at the N end where medium clitter is encountered.
Nine stones can be said without any doubt to be part of the double row of these, eight are in situ whether upright or leaning over (stones A, F, I, J, K, M and N) and one is recumbent (stone L). A further nine stones were recorded. Of these, six could possibly be from the row (stones B, C, D, G, Q and R) but are uncertain and three are dubious (stones E, H and S). A total of 18 stones therefore were plotted.
The majority of upright, in situ stones are towards the S end of the row. Here, (working down along the row from stone F) stone-pairs are 12.8, 12, 8.5 and 13.2 apart. The only two extant pairs, I/J and M/N show that the space variation between each row is between 0.8 and 1.6m. All in situ stones have their long axis along the row alignment
The present survey agrees quite well with the 1:1000 survey of source (OS 1978): stone P is also the southern end of that survey and close correlation exists northwards as far as stone C. Two additional stones are depicted between stone C and stone B. Stones A and S are shown before 'probable natural boulders'.
It is difficult to comment on the original report of 1898 (TDA) and that of 1952 (Worth, 1967) both of which list 25 stones but do not provide surveys. Some could have been removed but it is unlikely; it is the opinion of the present surveyor that the additional 7 stones were probably highly conjectural. Spooners minimum length seems to have extended from M/N (his 'pair of prominent erect stones') to R : his 264.5 ft correlates with the 84m between these stones. His 50ft downhill extension probably accords with the distance between M/N and P/Q (Worth 1967).

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152992 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(09/01/2001) Stone alignment 260m south of Higher White Tor. Broken stone at the southern end of the row is still broken, although attempts to restore using glue have been attempted. Tufty grass with no erosion. Stones are up to 0.75m high. Slight hollows around some uprights indicate old poaching. A slightly worn path leads up through the row, but there is no erosion.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 65, 234, Map 29, Figure 29.4 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Higher White Tor double stone row with the upper end at SX61947842 with a length of 95.4 metres but only twelve stones remaining. The rows are set 1.4 metres apart but too few stones remain standing to estimate the intervals along the rows

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Notes in Sites and Monument Record: stone rows (Personal Comment). SDV138550.

(22/03/1995) Higher White Tor. As above.

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

'Stone Rows' shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8644 - Cherrybrook and Longford Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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