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Summary

A massive cairn on the summit of Rippon Tor, 28 metres in diameter and 4 metres high. One of four cairns in the vicinity. It is an approximately circular mound of granite boulders, with an overall spread of 27 metres. The top has been much altered and added to, and the central area hollowed; there is also the more recent addition of an Ordnance Survey trig pillar within the hollow. Condition is declining due to frequent interference by the public.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019603: Coaxial fields, prehistoric settlements and cairns on Halshanger and Horridge Commons, forming part of the Rippon Tor coaxial field system

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: 152325
• National Monuments Record: SX77NW48
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445156
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NW/93
• Old SAM Ref: 28774
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: 27/03/2014

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 628 (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

Tumuli near Rippon Tor.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 329 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1960-1961, SX77NW48 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV308321.

(20/04/1960) SX 7465 7557 Cairn D. On the summit of Rippon Tor is a large cairn 4.0 metres high incorporating outcrop of the tor. Small central hollow contains an Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar. A 25" survey of the cairns has been made.
Cairns C & D surveyed on L.S. document.
('A'-SX 74717549; 'B'-SX 74747547) Cairns (NR) ('C'-SX 74687552; 'D'-SX 74657557) Cairns (NR).

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 142 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(Visited 28/9/1975) Cairn built around tor. Diameter 25 metres, height 4.0 metres.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force or National Monuments Record aerial photographs.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 69/A62 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Ring cairn, internal diameter 4.5 metres, with bank 1.0 metre wide and 0.4 metres high. In the centre is a boulder 3.0 metres wide, 2.0 metres thick, 2.5 metres high.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 152325 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visit 1st April 1999. One of four cairns near Rippon Tor. Cairn on summit of Rippon Tor at SX74687556. Diameter 28 metres, height 4.0 metres. A massive cairn enhancing Rippon Tor. Most of the surface of the cairn is composed of loose stones which are clearly being moved around to form visitor shelters. There is one adjacent to the trig point and another a short distance to the north.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 42; Fig. 5.3 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Cairn 1 is 28 metres in diameter and 4 metres high and has an Ordnance Survey triangulation station at the centre.

Horner, B., 1992, Rippon Tor summit cairn (Personal Comment). SDV296837.

Ordnance Survey appears to have mis-written the cairn's height and Turner gives national grid reference as SX74697553, but the Ordnance Survey siting seems correct.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

Cairn is depicted on the modern map.

Newman, P., 2013, An Archaeological Assessment of Halshanger and Horridge Commons, Dartmoor, Devon, 4, Table 1 (Report - Assessment). SDV356396.

The largest cairn on Rippon Tor is the tor cairn. The is a large heap of granite boulders and smaller stones perched on the main granite outcrop. Its domed profile is a conspicuous landmark and in turn it commands impressive views to the coast as well as other moorland areas including the cairns on Hameldown and Holne Ridge. It has an overall diameter of 27 metres. There is a concrete Ordnance Survey triangulation point set centrally within the cairn fabric, around which the cairn has been much altered and hollowed by the frequent rebuilding of a temporary shelter. Condition declining, subject to interference by public.

Newman, P., 2013, Halshanger Sites Visited and Confirmed (Report - Survey). SDV351113.

Site visited and grid reference confirmed.

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

Part of the Rippon Tor coaxial field system. There are ten cairns within the monument, half of which stand at or near the summit of Rippon Tor. The cairn crowning the summit of the tor measures 28 metres in diameter, stands up to 4 metres high and is largely composed of loose rocks.

Newman, P., 2015, Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, 49, figure 21 (Report - Survey). SDV359145.

Cairn on summit of Rippon Tor. A cairn sits on the highest point of the main outcrop of Rippon Tor. It is an approximately circular mound of granite boulders, with an overall spread of 27 metres. The top has been much altered and added to, and the central area hollowed; there is also the more recent addition of an Ordnance Survey trig pillar within the hollow. Condition is declining due to frequent interference by the public. SX74657 75573.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, RT1 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited January 2019. Evidence of human traffic / trampling. Photo taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, RT1 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited January 2019. Photo taken looking north west

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6433 - Assessment of Halsanger Common, Horridge Common and Rippon Tor
• EDV6836 - Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape survey

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