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Summary

The faint traces of this cairn circle are situated on a SE-facing slope on a slight, level shelf beneath a large granite outcrop. The area is covered by scattered earthfast boulders and the site lies under blanket peat and reed cover, the overflow from an adjacent marshy area. The cairn is now visible as a short length of the east kerb, represented by an almost buried line of smallish boulders 0.1m high. These indicate a diameter of about 6.0m. This site is on the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks of a Bronze Age cairn, 280 metres south of Roundhill Farm

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Historical): NI Site
• National Monuments Record: SX67SW16
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443277
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/19

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Prowse, A. B., 1901, The Antiquities of Ockery and Roundhill, Dartmoor, 497 (Article in Serial). SDV233834.

Cairn with retaining circle. Remnant of a small cairn enclosing portions of two kists side by side, level with the surface and nearly filled up with soil. Western kist has two side stones upright, the other has only the eastern side stone in place. The long axis is north-west by north and south-east by south.

Worth, R. H., 1912, 31st Report of the Barrow Committee, 85 (Article in Serial). SDV233835.

Royal Air Force, 1946, CPE/UK 1890 (Aerial Photograph). SDV140289.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950 - 1980, SX67SW16 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV233836.

(04/09/1950) Retaining circle can be traced for greater part of its circuit and eleven stones were found. What must be the eastern most slab of eastern kist still projects a little way above turf, which covers whole area. But other slabs are apparently buried now. The general condition of the cairn which measures 5.5 metres in diameter is poor.
(28/1/1980) SX 60657395. The remains of a cairn at 358m. OD., in extremely poor condition, so that apart from two stones on the west side only the eastern half is visible. This has nine stones forming a kerb approximating 5.5m. in diameter and 0.2m. high with a narrow band of internal stones. The cists recorded by Prowse are not now visible and are presumably silted up or completely removed and dispersed.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:2500 for AO Records.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 152 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Cairn located south of Roundhill Farm, measuring 6.0 metres in diameter and 0.15 metres in height. Described by Prowse as a cairn enclosing two cists, side by side level with surface, each placed south-south-east by north-north-west; these are not now visible and have not been confirmed by any other observer. Visited on 25/7/1976.

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

Visible and recorded.

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

(02/02/1988) SX 60657395. The faint traces of this cairn circle are situated on a SE-facing slope on a slight, level shelf beneath a large granite outcrop. The area is covered by scattered earthfast boulders and the site lies under blanket peat and reed cover, the overflow from an adjacent marshy area.
The cairn is now visible as a short length of the east kerb, represented by an almost buried line of smallish boulders 0.1m high. These indicate a diameter of about 6.0m. A group of three randomly spaced upright stones each c. 0.15m wide and 0.16m high within the kerb may mark the position of one of the two cists (citing OS, 1950).
The visual impact of the site is very poor.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 230-1, Map 65 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Round Hill S.E. cairn '4' at SX60637396 of circa 7.0 metres diameter. Beside the track 150 metres north-east of the group of three cists beside the Blackbrook River (MDV6252-4), is a small multiple cairn circle. The burial mound has gone completely revealing some 25 stones on edge barely higher than the turf arranged in at least four concentric rings, the outer one about 7 metres across. Its position corresponds to the cairn mentioned by Prowse in 1901 which he describes as containing two cists side by side but nothing of these is to be seen.

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.

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

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8627 - Roundhill Farm Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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