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Summary

Group of clearance cairns north-west of Ditsworthy Warren thought to be medieval or later.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Group of four probably Medieval or later clearance cairns north-west of Ditsworthy Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE210
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1237842

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CLEARANCE CAIRN (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD? (Between) to 1899 AD? (Between))

Full description

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 76, 208, Map 47 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Three small mounds of 3.0 to 5.0 metres diameter on either side of the track to Eylesbarrow a short distance above the ford.

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

(17/07/1999) Centred SX58206747. Three small cairns lie on a gentle south-west facing slope at around 308 metres above ordnance datum. They are turf-covered stoney mounds from 3.2 metres to 4.8 metres in diameter and up to 0.6 metres high. Their function and origin are unclear but they are probably stone clearance heaps possibly of prehistoric though more likely of medieval or later date.
SX58146748 : 4.8 metres in diameter with a maximum height of 0.6 metres; the uphill side is damaged revealing a stony core but there are no traces of any structure to the feature.
SX58176750 : 5 metres by 3.2 metres with a maximum height of 0.4 metres; it is apparently undisturbed.
SX58256742 : roughly circular 2.7 metres in diameter and 0.4 metres high.
A fourth cairn at SX 58206743 also belonging to this group has previously been recorded. It has been interpreted as a prehistoric cairn though its form, positioning and relationship to the others of this group would suggest that it too is a medieval or later clearance cairn.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UP-DZ1 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 21/01/2020. Grid refs of individual cairns observed as follows: SW cairn – SX 58195 67426; NW cairn – SX 58149 67489; N cairn – SX 58172 67504; SE cairn – SX 58250 67425. Overall condition moderate. Photo x4 taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, UP-DZ1 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo 1: View looking 320° showing grass/moss and bracken cover. Photo 2: View looking 080° showing grass/moss and bracken cover. Photo 3: View looking 140° showing grass/moss cover with a little bracken. Photo 4: View looking 060° showing grass/moss and bracken cover.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7443 - Condition survey of archaeological sites in Ringmoor Training Area
• EDV7569 - Condition survey of Ringmoor Down training area
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape

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