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Summary

Cairn at the north-east end of a short stone row south of Penn Beacon with depression on the top, pit sunk in subsoil. Finds include, pottery and oval implements of soft slate.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017400: Double stone alignment with a large cairn south-west of Penn Beacon

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE62
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439282
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/126
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/7/1
• Old SAM Ref: 10785
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX56SE62

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• CIST (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

Spence Bate, C., 1872, Researches into some Antient Tumuli on Dartmoor, 549-553, fig 2, 3 (Article in Serial). SDV336926.

A short double stone row consisting of two pairs of stones on the southern slope of Penn Beacon with a cairn approximately 52 feet in diameter and 6 foot high at the north end of the row. Excavated 30/03/1872, a trench was opened into the cairn in a line corresponding with the alignment of the stone row. This cairn had been previously dug into. A cist was discovered, though the cap stone had collapsed at one end.
Oval implement, 88.9mm by 25.4mm wide was found below the cap stone. Very thin and has both ends bevelled off in opposite directions. There are many fine scratches on the surface of the stone. Made of yellowish white slate. Appears to have been used for fashioning unbaked clay vessels.
Numerous fragments of pottery were also recovered apparently belonging to the same vessel. One fragment was large enough to indicate this vessel to have been a wide mouthed jar or urn, the mouth of which is calculated to have been around 20.3cm in diameter. It had a constricted neck about 3.8cm from the edge of the vase. The rim of the vessel was the thickest part of it (almost 1.3cm); from the rim it thins gradually to 2.54mm. Material of the vessel was a coarse clay with quartz fragments.

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

'Tumulus' shown on 19th century map with a pentagon of stones shown surrounding it.

Worth, R. H., 1897, 16th Report of the Barrow Committee, 70 (Article in Serial). SDV356961.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 111, 118, 128, 131, 135 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 2291-2293 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

A mound is visible as an earthwork.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX56SE62 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV164395.

(30/03/1950) Cairn 16.5m diameter and 1.8m high. A large crater in the centre, and the cairn is badly mutilated.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE62 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV153014.

(21/08/1977) SX 59526247. This cairn lies on a false crest, on a moderate clitter strewn slope at 340.0m above O.D. and just above a spring line.
It measures 16.0m in diameter, 1.1m high and is built of small boulders with a deep central disturbance and dip in the south side, probably a result of the 1872 excavation (1872, 549-553). The cairn stands at the north end of a double stone row which extends for 7.0m. On a grid bearing of 213 degrees and comprises two pairs of stones, average size 0.6m by 0.2m and 0.4m high, set 1.4m apart.
There is no trace of further stones to the south where the ground has been eroded to form a large hollow. 1:10 000 Survey on P.F.D. Enlargement Survey at 1:100.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 136 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(22/09/1975) Cairn with large hollow centre, 19m diameter, height 1.3m.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Not recorded.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 191-3, 213, Map 52, Figure 52.14 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Penn Beacon stone row cairn at SX59526247 of 17.0 metres diameter by 1.2metres high which possibly contained a cist. The large and prominent cairn had already been disturbed in 1872 when it was excavated and the sides of a cist with capstone were exposed to the west of the centre in line with the stone rows. This was dismantled during the excavation and is no longer visible. No circle of uprights surrounds the base of the cairn nor were found around the cist.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5962 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A mound is visible as an earthwork.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5962 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

A mound is visible as an earthwork.

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 roughly circular stony mound is visible as an earthwork approximately 16m in diameter on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013, just above the 330m contour on the south-west facing slopes below Penn Beacon.
The mound is probably the remains of a cairn of Bronze Age date.
A hollow identifiable in the centre on the mound is probably a result of 1872 excavation.

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

'Cairn' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1017400 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

The cairn consists of a mound of stones on a base of earth and stone measuring 17 metres in diameter and up to 1.5 metres in height. It was opened in 1872 by Spence Bate and Oliver and revealed a cist, a stone artefact and pottery fragments.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5845 - LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD?)
• FDV5844 - URN (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)
• EDV8394 - Excavation at cairn on the lower slope of Penn Beacon, Cornwood

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