More information : A very ancient "new take wall" built over the remains of
a stone row, which led from a cairn (SX 57 NW 25). It is parallel to
the row on"Launceston"Moor (SX 57 NE 18) and about 60 to 70 yards
apart. The bank incorporates the cairn and some of the original
standing stones. (SX 54977865 to SX 54947887). Shown on plan as a
Reave (2).
A 'reave' in the form of a stony bank can be traced from SK 54967865
to SX 54967892, where it runs into a newtake wall. Its average width
is 3.0m and its height 0.5m. A few large upright stones are visible
in the bank but cannot be positively identified as part of a stone
row.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD. (4-5).
The Lanson Moor reave which crosses a low ridge lies in open, fairly boulder-free moorland pasture. It can be traced from its junction with a substantial stone-faced newtake wall at SX 5496 7892 through a pronounced bend on a high point occupied by a mutilated cairn (SX 57 NW 25) at SX 5494 7883 to a point at SX 5497 7865 where it sinks into an extensive marsh. Its rather sinuous line is cut by a number of tracks especially towards the southern end where it is heavily defaced.
Composed of boulders, stones and soil with some large in situ orthostats it is on average 3.5m wide and 0.5m high. There is a noteable accumulation of stony material on the east side (mostly at the southern end); here parts of the bank have been disturbed and partially stripped. A crude rectangular structure measuring approximately 62m by 30m internally with low boulder and stone banks up to 0.4m high is attached to the west side of the linear at SX 5495 7874; its origin and purpose are not clear but it may be the result of desultory disturbance in the area.
The following cannot be established from ground inspection (i) exactly how far the reave extends southwards into the marsh area; (ii) if the northerly extension of the newtake wall (from the junction) overlies the line of the reave as its course would seem to indicate; (iii) the sugestion in the TDA (2) that the reave is built over a stone row. (7)
A very substantial linear embankment of earth and stone runs approximately parallel to the stone row between 60 and 80 m to the west. It measures up to 1.5m high in places and has a spread of over 3m. It contains some large, upright stones leading 19th century researchers to conclude it originated as a stone row to be later adapted into a boundary. The feature could be considered to be a reave for it has a similar and parallel alignment to the Wittor reave 680m to the west and a continuation of it has been fossilized to the north in the form of a modern newtake wall. However, although the southern end of the boundary fades into the marsh at the head of the Colly Brook, it does not re-appear on the southern side of the marsh. The bank is also of notably larger proportions than most reaves, only the Great Western Reave on Roose Tor being of similar size. It is possible therefore that this bank exists in its present proportions as a result of stone clearance, the surrounding area being notably stone free, though no date for this activity is know.
Resurveyed at 1:2500 using GPS September 2003 (8)
Condition is fair but unstable in places with risk of further loosening of stone. (9)
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