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Summary

One of two Bronze Age hut circles with a pound between them, adjacent to the newtake wall, dividing Halshanger and Horridge Commons. An 8 metre diameter hut circle, terraced into the slope, with a substantial scarp on the north side, exaggerated as a result of the excavations in the 1890s, when the interior was removed. Many stones of the wall survive in situ in this hut and the interior. Surveyed at 1:200 scale May 2015.

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
• SHINE: Earthworks and stone walls of a Bronze Age parallel reave system on Mountsland, Halshanger and Horridge Commons, comprising the remains of a field system, hut circle settlements, enclosures and cairns, and surface remains of 19th century Hemsworthy Mine

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: 152302
• National Monuments Record: SX77SE3
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445202
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77SE/2/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 930
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX77SE3

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1897, Fourth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 156 (Article in Serial). SDV337081.

Small group of huts lying close to the corner of newtake wall separating Horridge and Halsanger Common. Two huts only examined. Hut 1 yielded traces of charcoal from the floor, which was unusually deep; two broken grit rubber stones; one flint flake used as a knife or scraper; a flint spall; 2 or 3 pieces of grey slate; portions of a blue slate disc with edges ground down. Very large stones in this circle. Hut 2; large with stones of considerable size. No charcoal but fragments of red pottery found.

Burnard, R., 1906, Early Man, 628 (Article in Monograph). SDV322231.

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

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1960, SX77SE3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV315165.

(17/05/1960) There are two hut circles at SX 7504 7484 and SX 7504 7480 and between them a quadrilateral enclosure or pound (at SX 7505 7482).
A 25" survey has been made.

Gawne, E. + Somers Cockes, J. V., 1968, Parallel Reaves of Dartmoor, 286-7 (Article in Serial). SDV345858.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 152302 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visit April 1999. Stone hut circle within coaxial fields on Halsanger Common. Diameter 8 metres. Double orthostat wall 2 metres wide, 1.35 metres high. A 182 degree gap represents a doorway. Vegetation: grass and bracken; a tree has fallen into the building.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume One - The East, 40, Fig. 5.1 (Monograph). SDV299725.

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

Hut circle is very clearly visible on the aerial photography at this location.

Newman, P., 2013, An Archaeological Assessment of Halshanger and Horridge Commons, Dartmoor, Devon, 7, Table 1 (Report - Assessment). SDV356396.

One of seventeen recorded hut circles on Halsanger and Horridge Commons. Excavated in 1886 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee which has lowered its floor level. Finds included pottery and stone and flint artefacts. Condition stable.

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

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Hut circle is depicted on the modern mapping.

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

Part of the Rippon Tor coaxial field system.

Newman, P., 2015, Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, 50, (Fig 29) (Report - Survey). SDV359145.

Hut circle north of enclosure on Halshanger Common
An 8 metre diameter hut circle, terraced into the slope, with a substantial scarp on the north side, exaggerated as a result of the excavations in the 1890s, when the interior was removed. Many stones of the wall survive in situ in this hut and the interior. Surveyed at 1:200 scale May 2015. Condition is Stable. Evidence of antiquarian investigation. SX75046 74845

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, RT25 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(31/12/2019) Condition recorded as moderate. Some bracken growth on walls and encroaching into the centre of the hut. Gorse and bracken in the surrounding area.

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

Images taken during the December 2019 visit.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5933 - DISC (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)
• FDV5932 - FLAKE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC?)
• FDV5931 - POLISHER (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Events

• EDV6433 - Assessment of Halsanger Common, Horridge Common and Rippon Tor
• EDV6836 - Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape survey
• EDV8589 - Excavation of huts on Halshanger / Horridge Common

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.