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Summary

Dispersed hut circle settlement comprising 12 hut circles spread over a distance of 550 metres north-south along the western valley side. Fragmentary evidence of a reave system and other enclosure walls are associated with the huts.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017983: Dispersed stone hut circle settlement and associated fields 490m south east of Silk House

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Hut circles marked.

Spooner, G. M. + Birkett Dixon, C. E., 1955, Note on the Antiquities situated in the Forestry Commission ground at Fernworthy and Bellever. Appendix 1 (Report - non-specific). SDV351955.

Fernworthy District
The area shows the effect of the earliest policy during planting when a minimum clearance was given to some of the more conspicuous antiquities and the rest ignored. In general hut circles were planted over. Where the trees are now sifficiently tall and the ground has been cleared beneath them it can be seen that the structure of the planted circles has survived, but they will have lost something of their archaeological value.
A. Region south of the Teign
The remains in the Assacombe-Lowton area are nearly all hut circles, some of which are conspicuous and comparatively well preserved. They have never been systematically investigated. It is desirable that they be spared further disturbance below ground level by tree roots and that the remaining trees on them be removed by felling.

Turner, J. R., 1976, Ancient Monuments on Forestry Commission Land. Fernworthy and Bellever (Report - non-specific). SDV351823.

Fernworthy Plantation. West Lowton. Sketch map showing location of 11 hut circles. See associated monuments for details of individual huts.

Fugro-BKS, 2013, Fernworthy Forest LiDAR survey (Cartographic). SDV351778.

Hut circles and field system visible. Map object based on this source.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

[Part of] Dispersed stone hut circle settlement and associated fields 490m south east of Silk House.
The monument, which falls into six areas, includes a dispersed stone hut circle settlement and associated fields situated on a north east facing slope overlooking the valley of the Lowton Brook. The settlement contains at least 12 stone hut circles together with a number of lengths of rubble walling forming part of a field system. The stone hut circles within the settlement all survive as banks each surrounding an internal circular area which varies from 14.51 to 55.39 square metres with the average being 30.56 square metres. The height of the surrounding walls vary between 0.6m and 1.3m, with the average being 0.91m. Four of the huts have visible doorways and the orthostatic, rubble bank and coursed walling building traditions are all represented.
Despite afforestation, the dispersed stone hut circle settlement and associated fields lying west of Lowton Brook survives well and contains archaeological structures, features and deposits, relating to the exploitation of this part of the moor during the Bronze Age period.

Newman , P., 2013, The Archaeology of Fernworthy Forest, Dartmoor, Devon, 23-29, Fig. 20 (Report - Survey). SDV351784.

Hut circle settlement comprising 12 hut circles spread over a distance of 550 metres north-south along the western valley side between the 370 and 440 metre contours. Most of the huts are terraced due to the steepness of the hillside in order to provide level floors. The huts can be divided into two localised groups plus several discrete outliers. With the exception of the northernmost hut (MDV6599) all have been robbed of stones to some extent. Most of the surviving stonework is displaced with only four of the huts still having in situ orthostats making up part of the walls or entrances. Fragmentary evidence of a reave system and other enclosure walls can be associated with these huts. Map object based on this source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6203 - Archaeological Survey of Fernworthy Forest
• EDV7389 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1996
• EDV7410 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1992

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