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Summary

Barrow D, this mound is one of four in a row with another barrow to the north interpreted as forming a Prehistoric barrow cemetery on the western slope of Crownhill Down. The mound is not archaeological in origin.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1003201: Barrow cemetery on western slope of Crownhill Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 438411
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX55NE/32
• Old SAM County Ref: Part of 1027 A-G

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• NON ANTIQUITY (Unknown date)
• (Former Type) BARROW (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Edwards, C., 1979, An archaeological survey of an area surrounding Hemerdon Ball, 18 (Report - Survey). SDV337241.

Visited 11th July 1979. Four barrows run west from the cairn at SX56795987, forming a small linear cemetery, difficult to define in terms of measurements, they all roughly conform to diameter 6 metres, height 0.2metres. The line they form falls just to the south of that defining the Sparkwell and Shaugh Prior parish boundary between the cairns at SX56795987, and SX56555994. Barrow A at SX56725988, Barrow B at SX56695988, Barrow C at SX56665989 and Barrow D at SX56645989. Other details: Fig 8.2.

Devon County Council, 1982, Crownhill Down (Plan - measured). SDV337246.

Gilbertson, D. + Collis, J., 1982, Mapping Three Millennia of Settlement and Land Use on Crownhill Down, South West Dartmoor (Article in Serial). SDV362901.

Cemetery F. Four barrows.

AMAX, 1982, The Hemerdon Project. Archaeological Sites (Plan - measured). SDV149232.

One of a row of four Prehistoric barrows shown in a line to the south of the parish boundary with a further Prehistoric barrow shown to the north.

Gilbertson, D. + Collis, J., 1985, Linear Banks on Crownhill Down, Dartmoor (Article in Serial). SDV337244.

Cemetery F. Four barrows.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, SX55NE (Cartographic). SDV337243.

Not visible on 1946 or 1978 aerial photographs.

Department of Environment, 1986, Barrow Cemetery on Western Slope of Crownhill Down (Schedule Document). SDV337245.

Barrow cemetery on western slope of Crownhill Down. This site has no statutory description.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 194-6, Map 52, Figure 52.16 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Western of a row of five cairns shown on Crownhill Down.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5659 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A probably natural mound is visible.

National Monuments Record, 2002, 438411 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV343823.

A rounded mound 10.7 metres diameter by up to 0.5 metres high. There is a slight 0.3 metre deep depression on the north-west side. Linear group of six round barrows or cairns with three more possible mounds, lie on a south-west facing slope of Crownhill Down. These turf-covered mounds all have some stone visible although there are no traces of kerbs. It is possible that some of the mounds are built around rock outcrops.

Fletcher, M., 2002, The Archaeological Landscape of Crownhill Down and Ridding Down: Survey Report, 4 (Report - Survey). SDV343412.

Other details: Figure 3 and Crownhill Down Survey.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 109 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems. Principal vulnerability scrub/tree growth.

Hughes, S. + Valentin, J., 2010, Crownhill Down, Hemerdon, Sparkwell, Devon: Results of an Archaeological Trench Evaluation, Scheduled Monument DV1027, p.8 (Report - Evaluation). SDV347897.

The results from the evaluation clearly indicate that the identification of a Bronze Age barrow/cairn cemetery within the scheduled area is erroneous.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 102 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 22-JUN-2018 ACCESSED 04-JUL-2019 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

The earthworks have been destroyed by the expansion of opencast mining.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

A subtle and somewhat diffuse mound is visible as a slight earthwork on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014. In comparison with the cairn recorded as MDV12654, the mound does not appear to be archaeological in origin. This conclusion is supported by a trench evaluation carried out in 2010. The site has been destroyed by expansion of open cast mining on Crownhill Down.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

Within Scheduled area.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4559 - Archaeological Landscape of Crownhill Down and Riddding Down
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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