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Summary

Hut circle settlement of 320 metres north-east to south-west by 125 metres north-west to south-east at Great Stannon newtake to the south of White Ridge with seven or eight enclosures and five hut circles. Boundaries of on average 1.6 metres wide by 0.5 metres high within and surrounding the enclosed hut circle settlement lying within Great Stannon Newtake. The walling, substantial in places, comprises boulders, stone rubble and upright facing slabs; entrances where visible are in the south or south east sides.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018710: Three agglomerated enclosures, a round cairn and part of the Stannon block field system lying within Great Stannon Newtake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE21
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443944
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SW/41
• Old SAM Ref: 28683
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68SW21

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

'Hut Circles' shown on 19th century map.

Curwen, E. C., 1927, Prehistoric Agriculture in Britain, 277, 281-5 (Article in Serial). SDV173835.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, 3365, 4364-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX68SW21, Enclosure (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV173418.

(23/06/1950) Compound enclosure and hut circles.
Hut A. Diameter 6.0m. Floor below normal ground level owing to situation on steep slope, well defined entrance to south-east.
Hut B. Diameter approximately 7.0m Double walled type has been used as a shelter at some recent date probable entrance in south-east.
Hut C. A large double walled hut (diameter 8.5m) with remains of semi-circular court on south perimeter no obvious entrance.
Hut D. Diameter 8.5m. Well defined entrance with two jambs to south-east.
Hut E. Diameter 5.0m. Walling in poor condition consisting of isolated stones and turf, entrance to south-south-east.
Enclosure remains of large compound enclosure walling extensively robbed and now only turf and isolated stones. Middle Bronze Age pottery. Enclosure walls mean height 0.25m. Sketch included.

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1952 /1953, Prehistoric Settlements on Dartmoor and the Cornish Moors, 67-8, 70, 82 fig. (Article in Serial). SDV337080.

One of two small settlements on the south-west slopes of Whiten Ridge. Lynchetted enclosures.

Fox, A., 1954, Celtic Fields and Farms on Dartmoor in Light of Recent Excavations at Kestor, 87 (Article in Serial). SDV231175.

At Stannon Brook are the remains of three fields of poor construction, together with five huts.

National Monument Record, 1977, SX6481/2, 250-253 (Aerial Photograph). SDV265024.

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

Large enclosure with three elements and a possible fourth. Five hut circles and a double hut circle, associated with it, two being attached, one to an external wall of an outer element. Visible on RAF 1947 and NMR 1977 aerial photographs.

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

(02/09/1990) Centred SX 64788170. A settlement of at least five hut circles lies within a rectilinear field system on the fairly steep SE-facing slopes of White Ridge between 450m and 480m OD. The site, of approximately 11 hectares in area is covered by a thick peat layer and moorland pasture with widely scattered clitted spreads.
The ruined huts, some covered by peat and others exposed by excavation, have internal diameters ranging from 3.6m to 8.6m. The walling, substantial in places comprises boulders, stone rubble and upright facing slabs; entrances where visible are in the S or SE sides. All are linked to plots, pounds or field walls.
The field walls are constructed of boulders and stones with upright slabs and on-line earth fast boulders. They are, on average, 1.6m wide and 0.5m high. There is a pronounced accumulation of peat on the uphill sides of the walls and in many places a scarp is formed however this is probably hill wash rather then the remains of agricultural lynchets. The full extent of the field system cannot be ascertained because elements are almost certainly hidden under the peat. Extensions to the N and E were identified during the survey of the site in the very dry 1990 season.
The relationship between this settlement and its neighbours (SX 68 SW4, 7) and also the extensive reave system on the slopes of White Ridge (SX 68 SW 108) cannot be deduced from the surviving visible field evidence, however it may be significant that the southern boundary wall at system is roughly at right angles to the terminal reave.
A further table of information on the settlement is held in the archive.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 144234-41 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(24/10/1997) SX 6472 8165. Agglomerated enclosure forming part of an enclosed hut circle settlement in Great Stannon newtake. Agglomerated enclosure with at least nine elements. Grass and occasional rushes.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 159-61, Map 35, Figure 35.3 (Monograph). SDV219155.

'White Ridge South-west '1' settlement' contains five hut circles within a series of enclosures.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Some elements of the settlement visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

'Settlement' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1018710 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument, which falls into seven areas, includes three agglomerated enclosures containing stone hut circles, a round cairn and part of the Stannon block field system lying on White Ridge within Great Stannon Newtake. This eastern agglomerated enclosure is attached to a reave belonging to the Stannon block field system and includes at least nine enclosed areas. The two largest enclosures are rectangular in shape, although many of the others are irregular in plan. At least six stone hut circles survive within the enclosures and one has been converted into a shelter in historic times. The stone hut circles within the three settlements all survive as banks surrounding an oval or circular internal area which varies from 7.06 square metres to 60.79 square metres. The height of the surrounding walls varies between 0.3 metres and 1.4 metres. The orthostatic, rubble bank and coursed walling building traditions are all represented. Eleven of the huts have visible doorways, one has an annex and eight were partially excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee towards the end of the 19th century. Part of the Stannon block field system survives within this monument. The field system within the monument survives as four parallel reaves leading westward from a north to south terminal reave. The reaves forming the field system vary in character, but are generally composed of rubble walling measuring up to 2 metres wide and 0.5 metres high.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8650 - Great Stannon Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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