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Summary

Prehistoric curvilinear enclosure on Crownhill Down of 55 metres by 45 metres. The enclosure is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Prehistoric circular enclosure on Crownhill Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE130
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/101/1
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX56SE130
• Pastscape: 439477

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• D SHAPED ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4252-4253 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

A curvilinear bank is visible defining a D-shaped enclosure.

Royal Air Force, 1965, RAF/58/7109, RAF/58/7109 F42 0128-0129 22-NOV-1965 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351186.

A curvilinear bank is visible defining a D-shaped enclosure.

National Monuments Record, 1978, SX5760 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343625.

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

Site visited on 27th June 1979. A circular, presumably Prehistoric enclosure of earth and intermittent boulders is situated at the north end of the Prehistoric field system. Boundary 1 metre wide by 0.2 metres high with a diameter of 55 metres.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX56SE130, SX56SE130 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV343624.

Prehistoric circular enclosure on a fairly steep north-west slope covering about 0.23 hectares, with an internal diameter of 55 metres north-west to south-east by 51 metres transversely. The walling is partially double-faced but is mostly of single blocks and rubble, 1.3 metres wide and up to 0.8 metres high. The interior has been cleared of stone and is now grass covered. Around the lower half a lynchet has built up to a height of 0.5 metres. Other details: Plan.

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

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

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, SX56SE (Cartographic). SDV336987.

Visible and recorded on the 1985 interpretation.

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

Oval Enclosure '2' of 55 metres by 45 metres to the south of Tory Brook and the 'long house'.

National Monuments Record, 2002, 439477 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV343626.

A Prehistoric enclosure of sub-circular shape situated on a north-west facing slope in open moorland. It is largely obscured by dense vegetation but where visible the wall is composed of irregularly spaced granite boulders and stones with soil and a slight lynchet on the downhill side.

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.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5761 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

A curvilinear bank is visible defining a D-shaped enclosure.

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.

An enclosure of probable Bronze Age to Iron Age date is relatively clearly visible as an earthwork under moderate vegetation cover on aerial photographs of 1946 and 1965.
The visible bank is circa 4m wide, enclosing a roughly-D shaped area circa 45 by 50m across.
The north-east quadrant of the enclosure perimeter is not identifiable and might have been removed or reused during the construction of the medieval long-house and associated farmstead immediately to the north.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

Enclosure shown on modern mapping.

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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