More information : (Centred SX 68206480) Enclosed Hut Groups and Hut
Circles (NR) (1)
A Bronze Age pastoral settlement on Gripper's Hill, Dean Prior,
was excavated in July 1954 by Lady Aileen Fox on behalf of the
Ministry of Works. The site comprises four enclosures containing
ten or more huts as well as three or four outlying huts, many
ill-defined, overgrown, and all in poor condition; most of the
enclosure walls are so ruined that they appear only as an untidy
spread of loose stones but the wall of Enclosure II appears to
have been substantially built with a width of 6-7 1/2 ft on the
east side. Enclosures 2 and 3 were the primary constructions
and were most probably used for sheltering cattle whilst the
huts in enclosure 4 together with the outlying huts were used
for human habitation. (2-3)
On the south slopes of Gripper's Hill at 310-325m OD is a
settlement which consists of three contiguous enclosures
containing eight huts, with a further four huts to the south
west. Enclosure I on the plan with hut circles Nos 1 and 2
have been entirely destroyed by quarrying. The walls of the
primary Enclosures II and III appear thicker than those of
Enclosure IV - up to 2.0m average; No II has several yards
adjacent to the interior wall and only two huts; No III has
only one hut and no yards; No IV has four internal huts,
another contiguous with the inner face of the enclosure and one
contiguous with the outer face; there are no yards.
There is no evidence of clearance in Enclosures III and IV,
but some may have been attempted in No II. All the huts are in
a very ruinous state and are probably Type 1.
(Type site SX 56 SE 19) The internal diameters range from
3.0m to 6.0m, with an average of 4.0m; the walls are on average
1.0m thick. Only hut No 3 has a visible entrance, on the east.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD. (4)
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