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Summary

Hut Circle of 7.5 metres diameter with walls 1.2 metres wide by up to 1.0 metres high within settlement to the east of Lowton Brook. Disturbed hut with few stones remaining

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017990: Partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 780m south west of Metherall

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: 144186
• National Monuments Record: SX68SE44
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/30
• Old SAM County Ref: 610A
• Old SAM Ref: 28678
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68SE44B
• Pastscape: 443840

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

One of four 'Hut Circles' shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1952-1978, SX68SE44A (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV277863.

Site visit 2nd September 1952. Hut A. One of a group of four hut circles. Described as clearly visible but surrounded by trees and impossible to photograph.

Turner, J. R., 1976, Ancient Monuments on Forestry Commission Land. Fernworthy and Bellever (Report - non-specific). SDV351823.

Fernworthy Plantation. East Lowton 1A. Reported to be a hut circle by the 1965 committee. Comprises a collection of large stones and earth boulders. Has not been planted over. Located a few metres north of site 2A.
January 1976. Clearance zone enclosing sites 1A and 2A ringed by 11 posts. Trees are standing within the clearance zone and those on the west side outside the post ring are within falling distance.
Included within Spooner Dixon 1955 report (A) Region South of the Teign (Assacombe and Lowton) Site No. 17A.

Turner, J., 1978, Report of Work Carried Out by the Forestry Commission since January 1976 (Report - non-specific). SDV351816.

No work has been carried out on this group of sites since 1976.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV345762.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visits 11th July and 16th December 1983.

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

Not visible on 1946 RAF aerial photos due to tree cover.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 144185 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visit 30th April 1997. Hut circle forming part of a partially enclosed settlement. Diameter 7.6 metres. Single orthorstat and earthwork wall, 1.0 metres wide, 0.9 metres high. Internal area 45.34 square metres. Survives as an earthwork on its southern sector.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 156, Map 35, Site 2 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Hut circle beside the track at 'Lowton Brook East settlement' of which only about a third of its circumference still stands.

Smith, N., 1992, Condition Survey of Identified Archaeology with Woodland Areas 1992 (Un-published). SDV351819.

Fernworthy. East Lowton Group 1A/2A. Site visit May 1992. Hut circle and ring cairn adjacent to modern trackway. Site marked with posts. Under grass. Not planting within marked area or 15 metres beyond. Suggested that current vegetation management regime be maintained. Photos.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

Visited on 3rd June 1995. Hut circle at SX66588373 of 7.9 metres diameter with walls 1.2 metres wide by up to 1.0 metres high. Disturbed hut with few stones remaining.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 1996, Condition Survey of Identified Archaeology within Woodland Areas 1996 (Un-published). SDV351820.

Fenworthy. East Lowton Group 1A/2A. Site visit 29th September 1996. Site now marked by a single post. More posts are required and clearance is needed on the north side of site 1A.

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

Hut circle shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2013, Fernworthy Forest Sites Survey (Un-published). SDV351708.

Newman, P., 2013, The Archaeology of Fernworthy Forest, Dartmoor, Devon, 34, Fig. 24 (Report - Survey). SDV351784.

Hut circle has been much robbed of its stone. Its level floor is defined on the south side by a shallow scarp and displaced or leaning boulders mark the remainder of its circumference. Interior diameter about 7.5 metres.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Hut circle shown.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England, 1017990 (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

The monument includes an enclosure and four stone hut circles situated on a north facing slope overlooking Fernworthy Reservoir. The stone hut circles within the settlement all survive as banks each surrounding an internal circular area which varies from 16.6 to 73.86 square metres. The height of the surrounding walls vary between 0.65 and 1.45 metres. Two of the huts have visible doorways, one has a bench, all of them are of orthostatic construction and one has a length of boundary wall leading from it.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6203 - Archaeological Survey of Fernworthy Forest
• EDV6216 - Condition Surveys of Ancient Monuments on Forestry Commission Land
• EDV7389 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1996
• EDV7410 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1992
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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