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Summary

A very ruinous cairn on Blackslade Down has a central cist, made up of four edge-set, in situ, slabs, forming a rectangular chamber of 1.0 metre by 0.7 metres. This cairn was investigated in 1871 (Dartmoor Exploration Committee 1897). Pottery and charcoal were retrieved but the displaced capstone to cover the cist, reported as lying beside it, is now absent.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and walling remains of a Bronze Age coaxial field system around Pil Tor with remains of reaves, enclosures, hut circle settlements including Foales Arrishes, continuing south onto Blackslade Down
• Scheduled Monument 1003285: Burial chamber on Blackslade Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX77NW36
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445126
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NW/21
• Old SAM County Ref: 352

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Rowe, S., 1896, A Perambulation of the Royal Forest of Dartmoor and the venville precincts, 156 (Monograph). SDV249697.

Baring Gould, S., 1897, Fourth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 145-165, plate 33a (Article in Serial). SDV337081.

Kisvaen 400 yards south-east of Tunhill Rocks, lying longitudinally north-north-east by south-south-west, north-north-eastern stone measures 2 feet 4 inches long by 4 inches wide; east-south-east side stone measures 3 feet 7 inches long and 3 inches wide, west-north-west stones is 3 feet 4 inches long and 5 inches wide, south-south-west stone is 2 feet 6 inches long and 6 inches wide. Depth 2.5 feet, cover stone by kist which is a ruined and pillaged cairn 40 feet in diameter.
In 1871 Messrs Amery examined soil in bottom and found a few small fragments of pottery, buff-coloured, with no ornamentation and a piece of wood charcoal. Kist "very perfect", illustrated plate 33a with photograph.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 116,122,128 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 318 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Worth, R. H., 1934, 53rd Report of the Barrow Committee, 41-42 plate 6 (Article in Serial). SDV345863.

Kisvaen measuring internally 12.6 metres by 8.5 metres with a maximum depth of 7.3 metres, orientated north-south. Cover stone missing. There are remains of the cairn not less than 13.7 metres in diameter.

Worth, R. H., 1937, 56th Report of the Barrow Committee, 87 fig.8 (Article in Serial). SDV20973.

Unusual kist in that the sides are set within the end stones, in place of the end stones being set between the sides. Cover stone missing, and the remains of the cairn have been robbed. Opened by a former parson of Widecombe, whose house was destroyed by an explosion the following night (Date estimated as 1933).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1960, SX77NW36 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV308305.

(12/05/1960) As described above: the cairn is partly grass covered with a maximum height of 0.8m. on the eastern side. On the west it has been robbed to ground level.
Ground photograph: see AO/53/62/8. A 25" survey has been made.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 173, 176-177 (plan) (Monograph). SDV337618.

Worth describes the cairn and includes a plan.

Grinsell, L. V., 1976, Folklore of Prehistoric Sites in Britain, 98 (Monograph). SDV304171.

National Monument Record, 1977, SX7375, 6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV308312.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 177 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(Visited 11/9/1973) Damaged cairn exposing fine cist placed almost south/north, capstone missing. North-west and north-east corners either slightly dressed or selected to fit. Side slabs are (unusually) set within the end slabs. Diameter 16.5 metres, height 0.7 metres. Cairn is on Blackslade Down.

Beeson, M. M. R. + Masterman, M. C. H., 1979, An Archaeological Survey of Enclosed Land in Widecombe-In-The-Moor Parish, Volume V, 1049 (Report - Survey). SDV337078.

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

Site visited 25/3/1983.

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

Cairn is visible on aerial photographs (recorded on map overlay).

Wardle, C. J., 1991, Cairn with cist on Blackslade Down, sketch plan included (Worksheet). SDV308314.

Sited on a col 400 metres to the south-east of Tunhill Rocks, 400 metres south of Pil Tor and 250 metres north of Wittaburrow cairn. An approximately circular structure of varying height above ground (1.2 metres at the highest point). Very disturbed. A bank running from south-east by north-west appears to incorporate the south side of the structure, (see plan on worksheet) obscuring it. The west side is very eroded near jumbled rocks in the central area (about 8 metres in diameter) include some white quartz rocks and suggest the remains of a cairn. In the centre is a rectangular cist set in north-south orientation. The inner dimensions measure 1.02 metres by 0.71 metres, depth 0.35 metres lined by 4 granite slabs with smooth plane inner surface. The bottom now has the same rough stone and turf obscuring its original form.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Depicted on the modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV357602.

Remains of a cairn with a well preserved kist in the centre. The cover stone is missing (Schedule details from 1950).

Newman, P., 2015, Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, 48, (Figs 8 & 10) (Report - Survey). SDV359145.

A very ruinous cairn on Blackslade Down has a central cist, made up of four edge-set, in situ, slabs, forming a rectangular chamber of 1.0 metre by 0.7 metres. This cairn was investigated in 1871 (Dartmoor Exploration Committee 1897). Pottery and charcoal were retrieved but the displaced capstone to cover the cist, reported as lying beside it, is now absent. The 16.5 metre diameter cairn that covered the cist was probably a mound, but the uneven ground and pitting which surrounds it, suggests much material was robbed to construct a field boundary, of probable medieval date; this touches and obscures the southern tangent of the cairn. Surveyed at 1:200 scale May 2015.
Condition is stable. Evidence of antiquarian intervention.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, RT58 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 20/08/2019. A very fine cist missing its cap stone. The cairn that it sits in is very depleated but obvious. There is a covering of 30% gorse on the outer ring but overall in good condition. There is slight evidence of livestock tracks. Photos X 2 taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, RT58 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 20/08/2019. Photos X 2 taken. 1) looking from the south towards the north showing the overall view of the outer ring / cairn with the cist in the centre. Pil tor can be seen in the background. 2) Looking from the west towards the east. A close up of the intact cist

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV7956 - VESSEL (Unknown date)

Associated Events

• EDV6836 - Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape survey
• EDV8576 - Excavation of cairn, Tunhill Rocks, Blackslade Down

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