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HER Number:MDV122892
Name:Charcoal burning platforms on Langcombe Hill. Shaugh Prior

Summary

Two clusters of peat charcoal hearths or meilers on the high ground of Langcombe Hill, between the Plym and Erme valleys. The northern cluster has at least ten platforms, while that to the south-south-west has seven.

Location

Grid Reference:SX 619 661
Map Sheet:SX66NW
Admin AreaDartmoor National Park
Civil ParishShaugh Prior
DistrictSouth Hams
Ecclesiastical ParishSHAUGH PRIOR

Protected Status

  • SHINE: Earthwork remains of possible prehistoric barrow surrounded by later peat stands at Langcombe Head

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

  • CHARCOAL BURNING PLATFORM (Constructed, XIII to XIX - 1201 AD? (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Newman, P., 2018, Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV361913.

Circular features shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

A cluster of at least ten peat charcoal hearths or meilers on the high ground of Langcombe Hill, between the Plym and Erme valleys. The meilers comprise turf-covered, circular, earth or peat, flat-topped mounds. Some have a wedge profile to accommodate the slope. The dimensions vary considerably but 10 metres diameter is an average diameter, and some survive to over 1.5 metres high. These features have not yet been dated, but it is known from documentation, that peat charcoal was produced on Dartmoor using this method from at least the 13th century.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV361913Cartographic: Newman, P.. 2018. Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet). GIS ShapeFile. Digital. [Mapped feature: #117223 ]

Associated Monuments

MDV48107Related to: Boundary stone between the Parishes of Shaugh Prior and Cornwood, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV13173Related to: Heather-covered cairn or peat burning platform at Lancombe Head, Shaugh Prior (Monument)
MDV13174Related to: Heather-covered cairn or peat burning platform at Lancombe Head, Shaugh Prior (Monument)
MDV107561Related to: Peat Charcoal Burning Platforms at Langcombe Head (Monument)
MDV5124Related to: Peat mound once thought to be a barrow, Shaugh Prior (Monument)
MDV13175Related to: Possible cairns at Langcombe Head (Monument)

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

  • EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley
  • EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
  • EDV8965 - Aerial survey of guardianship sites on Dartmoor

Date Last Edited:Apr 16 2024 4:19PM