See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

A hut circle of possible Bronze Age to Iron Age is recorded as an earthwork on the north-west facing slopes just below the summit of Dewerstone Rock, forming part of the perimeter of a rectilinear bank defined enclosure. The hut circle is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020241: Prehistoric enclosures on Dewerstone Hill, 500m south east of Dewerstone Cottage
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of prehistoric enclosures and hut circles on Dewerstone Hill, surrounded by 19th century stone working quarries

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX 56 SW 14
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SW/11/1/1
• Old SAM Ref: 34436.01

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Hut Circle' shown on 19th century map.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RP 3237-3238 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

A hut circle is identifiable as an earthwork.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/LS, DCC DAP/LS 1 12-MAY-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV267566.

A hut circle is identifiable as an earthwork.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152996, 8/1/2001 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Stone hut circle forming part of an enclosed settlement on the summit of Dewerstone Hill. Diameter measures 9.4 metres. Rubble wall 2.7 metres wide, 0.8 metres high. Butted by enclosure walling. A 220 degree facing gap is probably the result of modern interference. Attached annex defined by a 0.8 metres wide and 0.3 metres high earthwork with occasional protruding stones. Bracken, moss and grass-covered.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 98, Map 48, Figure 48.2 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Hut circle of circa 8.0 metres diameter in the north-west corner of the rectangular enclosure on Dewerstone Hill.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1994, The Dewerstone, Meavy, Devon, 6-7 (Report - Survey). SDV359804.

There is a hut circle set into the north-western corner of the Bronze Age enclosure. It has an internal diameter of around 8 metres with walls up to 0.3 metres wide and 1.8 metre wide entrance facing south-south-west. It is terraced slightly into the natural scarp on the east and embanked downhill to a maximum height of 1.0 metre. A number of facing stones are visible. Surveyed at 1:1000 scale.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5363 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A hut circle is identifiable as an earthwork.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, 1020241 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

The monument includes two enclosures and associated stone hut circles situated on the summit of a steep sided promontory overlooking the confluence of the rivers Meavy and Plym. The smaller rectangular enclosure lies within the earlier Neolithic one and survives as a 75 metres long by 55 metres wide area denoted by a partly lyncheted rubble bank standing up to 1.3 metres high. The enclosure wall is attached to an earlier stone hut circle which survives as a 0.8 metres high rubble bank surrounding a circular internal area measuring 9.4 metres in diameter. Attached to the eastern side of this hut is a small annex denoted by a 0.8 metres wide and 0.3 metres high earthwork.

Environment Agency, 2019, National Lidar Programme, LIDAR SX56SW Environment Agency DTM 25-FEB-2019 (Cartographic). SDV363691.

A hut circle is identifiable as an earthwork.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

A possible hut circle of probable Bronze Age date is identifiable on aerial photographs of 1946, 1989, and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019, on the north-west facing slopes just below the summit of Dewerstone Rock.
The hut circle is largely obscured from view by dense vegetation on all aerial photographs available to the survey but can be defined as a roughly oval hollow or platform approximately 9 metres across, enclosed by a low, probably spread earthwork bank up to circa 5 metres wide.
The hut circle is either abutted by or was constructed as part of the perimeter of the rectilinear enclosure recorded as MDV2381, of which it forms the north-west corner.
A possible entrance was identifiable as a break circa 3 metres across at the south-west corner of the hut circle.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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