See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Vast prehistoric field system covering Blackslade Down, Pudsham Down, Buckland Common, Halshanger Common, Montsland Common, Horridge Common and part of Bagtor Down and consisting of a complex reave system with interspersed hut circle settlements, enclosures and cairns. Patches of medieval ridge and furrow occur within the reave system.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020377: Two stone hut circles 80m and 130m north of Rippon Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1003286: Hut circle at Tunhill Rocks
• Scheduled Monument 1003283: Foale's Arrishes, huts and fields, Blackslade Down
• Scheduled Monument 1003285: Burial chamber on Blackslade Down
• Scheduled Monument 1019602: Two stone hut circles and a length of boundary walling 250m west of Rippon Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1002499: Huts and fields NE of Rippon Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1004589: Hut circles and fields on Buckland Common
• Scheduled Monument 1019603: Coaxial fields, prehistoric settlements and cairns on Halshanger and Horridge Commons, forming part of the Rippon Tor coaxial field system
• Listed Building (II) 1208983: CLAPPER BRIDGE ON ROAD FROM COLD EAST CROSSROADS TO PUDSHAM DOWN, ABOUT 670 METRES NORTH EAST OF RUDDYCLEAVE FARMHOUSE
• Listed Building (II) 1242139: STENTIFORDS CROSS, ABOUT 70 METRES SOUTH EAST OF HEMSWORTHY GATE CROSSROADS
• Listed Building (II) 1097115: BOUNDARY STONE ABOUT 100 METRES NORTH WEST OF COLD EAST CROSSROADS
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a Bronze Age parallel reave system on Buckland Common, extending over Buckland Beacon and including prehistoric hut circle settlements, enclosures and cairns, medieval field systems and pillow mounds and a later field system to east
• SHINE: Earthworks and walling remains of a Bronze Age coaxial field system around Pil Tor with remains of reaves, enclosures, hut circle settlements including Foales Arrishes, continuing south onto Blackslade Down
• 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
• Scheduled Monument 1019604: Medieval farmstead 340m south east of Cold East Cross

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

In certain places, this field system is most clear on the Royal Air Force aerial photographs. Map object based on this source.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume One - The East, Maps 5, 6, 9, 10 (Monograph). SDV299725.

Butler depicts this extensive field system over a number of his maps.

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

Map object based on this source.

Newman, P., 2013, An Archaeological Assessment of Halshanger and Horridge Commons, Dartmoor, Devon, 8 (Report - Assessment). SDV356396.

Patches of medieval cultivation ridges (ridge and furrow) exist within the reave system, often following a similar axis to the reaves. These earthworks are very slight and not particularly noticeable on the ground but are more visible on the RAF 1940s aerial photographs and some modern satellite photos. The main concentration of the remains is at SX7432 7451. Another patch can also be found within one of the small prehistoric enclosures at SX74567455

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

The majority of the remains of this field system can be seen on the open land and the boundary of the Commons has in places been used as the current known extent of this feature. Map object based on this source.

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

Coaxial fields, prehistoric settlements and cairns on Halshanger and Horridge Commons, forming part of the Rippon Tor coaxial field system.

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

Parallel reave system
Rippon Tor parallel reave system, covering Blackslade Down, Pudsham Down, Buckland Common, Halshanger Common, Mountsland Common, Horridge Common and part of Bagtor Down. Comprising a complex reave system with interspersed hut circle settlements, enclosures and cairns. Further elements of this system, aligned on a similar axis have been recorded on Haytor Down, Dunstone Down and Wind Tor, increasing the extent of the Rippon Tor system. Condition varies. SX740-- 751--

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

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