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Summary

Hut circle of 5.9 metres diameter with walls 1.0 metres wide by up to 1.3 metres high and an entrance to the east within settlement east of Lowton Brook. It has been disturbed on the south-east side

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: 144188
• National Monuments Record: SX68SE44
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/179
• Old SAM Ref: 28678
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68SE44D
• 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 D. One of a group of four hut circles. Clearly visible.

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

Fernworthy Plantation. East Lowton 4A. Hut circle on a flat ridge on a west facing slope. 9.0 metres diameter. Wall constructed of a single ring of large stones but the hut has been damaged on the eastern side. One entrance porch stone on this side is still in place, however. Not investigated, has been planted over.
January 1976. 13 posts ring clearance zone, enclosing sites 3A and 4A.
Included in 1955 Spooner and Dixon report 9A) Region South of the Teign (Assacombe and Lowton) Site No. 19.

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.

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., 144188 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

site visit 30th April 1997. Hut circle forming part of partially enclosed settlement. Diameter 6.7 metres. Single orthostat wall 0.8 metres wide, 1.4 metres high. Internal area 35.23 square metres. Door east-north-east and is indicated by an edge set stone sitting beyond the ring of orthostats.

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

Hut circle shown at 'Lowton Brook East settlement.

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

Fernworthy. East Lowton Group 3A/4A. Site visit 27th May 1992. Hut circles on a platform close to track. Site marked. Site managed. Also grazed by sheep. Suggested that current management regime be maintained. Photo.

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 SX66578364 of 5.9 metres diameter with walls 1.0 metres wide by up to 1.3 metres high and an entrance to the east. It has been disturbed on the south-east side.

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

Fernworthy. East Lowton Group 3A/4A. Site visit 27th September 1996. Only one post marks both sites. More posts are needed. 4A is covered in fern which needs to be strimmed. It also does not have a 20 foot clearance area. Photo.

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

Hut circle shown on survey.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour aerial photography for Dartmoor (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Hut circle visible.

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

Newman, P., 2013, The Archaeology of Fernworthy Forest, Dartmoor, Devon, 34, Figs 24, 28 (Report - Survey). SDV351784.

An irregular circle of orthostatic slabs with an internal diameter of up to 7.0 metres. The south-east quadrant of the wall is missing and a shallow scarp marks the former position of the wall.

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

Marked as a Cairn Circle.

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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