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Summary

A roughly circular enclosure containing one possibly two hut circles lies in enclosed land west of Babeny farmhouse. The enclosure is formed by a substantial stoney bank between 2.5 metres to 5.5 metres wide and up to 1.0 metres high. Some massive earthfast blocks and slabs have been incorporated into the fabric which has been adopted by a drystone wall marking the boundary between Babeny and Brimpts farms.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Bronze Age settlement 580 metres west of Babeny, comprising a circular enclosure with at least one internal hut circle and further huts outside and further fragments of boundary walls

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NE31
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442479
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/84
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67NE31
• Pastscape: 442479

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 02/07/1964, F61 58 6399, 028-29 (Aerial Photograph). SDV262020.

(02/07/1964) An almost circular enclosure has been incorporated into the modern field wall. There appears to be an internal hut circle just within the west side (Ordnance Survey citing 1964 aerial).

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 1307-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1983, Enclosure (Worksheet). SDV233151.

(23/11/1983) Oval prehistoric enclosure measuring c.63m north-south. Two contiguous hut circles attached to inner face of west side. There is ridge and furrow (c.3m wide) inside the enclosure; also occurs outside. A ditched bank runs east from the south of the enclosure. Linked to SX67NE/51 by a prehistoric wall.

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

This maybe the enclosure which is not clearly visible on some poor 1946 aerial photograph.

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

(20/10/1993) Centred SX 66437510. A roughly circular enclosure containing one possibly two hut circles lies in enclosed land some 700m west of Babeny farmhouse. The 0.25 hectares enclosure is formed by a substantial stoney bank between 2.5m and 5.5m wide and remains to a maximum height of 1.0m. Some massive earthfast blocks and slabs have been incorporated into the fabric which has been adopted by a drystone wall marking the boundary between Babeny and Brimpts farms.
The hut comprises a stoney platform, 4.5m in diameter, at SX 66427508 adjacent to the western wall of the enclosure. The interior has been levelled by terracing on the east and cutting into the slope on the west. There is no trace of an entrance or walls to this hut.
At SX 66417508, also adjacent to the enclosure wall is a further stoney platform. Roughly rectangular in shape it measures 4.5m north to south by 1.8m and possesses neither an identifiable entrance nor well defined walls. This feature may simply be a stone clearance heap created when the enclosure was ploughed, probably during the 19th century.
At SX 66437507 the enclosure is adjoined by a stoney bank which runs east, downhill, to SX 66537508 and marks the southern edge of this later ploughing (see SX 67 NE 211).
A further ploughed-out hut circle (SX 67 NE 210) and several short lengths of prehistoric walling (SX 67 NE 212) lie 50m east of this enclosure.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 56, Map 28, Site 3 (Monograph). SDV219155.

'Brimpts North' prehistoric pound to the south-east of the 'Laughter Hole' enclosure on a steep slope with a spread bank 5.0 metres wide and only the largest slabs clinging to their original position. The foundations of a pair of adjoining hut circles are just visible against the south-east wall.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Enclosure shown on survey.

Cartographic Engineering, 2006, Dartmoor 2006 1:1250 Aerial Photography (digital) (Aerial Photograph). SDV345590.

Visible on aerila photograph.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8634 - Brimpts Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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