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Summary

The remains of an enclosure containing one hut circle, of probable prehistoric date, are visible within the surrounding parallel reave system on the west-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor. The surviving part of the enclosure comprises a double-faced boulder/slab wall up to 0.8 metres high with some stone infill. A curvilinear row of eight upright slabs denote the remains of a hut circle (see MDV48882). The enclosure and hut circle are clearly visible as ruined structures on aerial photographs of the 1950s to 1960s and digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2016. This site is included in the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Bronze age landscapes on Shaugh Moor and Wooter Moor comprising earthworks and walling of enclosures, hut circles, cairns, stone circles and rows, reaves and field systems, and medieval and post medieval field systems

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE85
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439349
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/164
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2299, 2300 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Harold Wingham Collection, 1959, HAW Film 9392, HAW 9392/42 22-JUL-1959 (AF) (Aerial Photograph). SDV351251.

A stony bank defined enclosure is visible as an earthwork.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/58/6399, RAF/58/6399 F64 0382-0383 02-JUL-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363068.

A stony bank defined enclosure is visible as an earthwork.

Price, D. G., 1973, Ancient fields on Shaugh Moor, 90 (Article in Serial). SDV147593.

A 'pound' near the 'Cadover road' and four fields to the southwest are bounded by upright stones. (Site visited some time in 1972?) Other details: Map.

National Monuments Record, 1977, NMR SX5562, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV152746.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX56SE85 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV152743.

(27/08/1980) At SX 55176302 is a homestead, of which both the hut and the enclosure have been extensively robbed. The enclosure walling is best preserved on the N side (see ground photograph) where massive slabs and boulders form a double wall 1.2m wide and up to 1.0m. high. Elsewhere there is now only single walling and major gaps particularly on the W (see plan). The interior, heavily overgrown with bracken, is cleared apart from large rocks.
The hut is of Type 2 (SX 56 NE 71) but only the SW half survives giving an internal diameter of 6.2m. The walling is 2.0m. wide and 0.7m. high. No entrance can be seen. A second hut purported to be on the outer W side of the homestead wall could not be identified.
Under current bracken condition only one fragment of field wall could be detected. This, 15.0m. from the enclosure extends to the SW for 52.0m. as a turf covered bank 1.3m. wide and 0.2m. high. (See SX 56 SE 78 for field system). Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.

Collis, J., 1983, Field Systems and Boundaries on Shaugh Moor and at Wotter, Dartmoor, 57, 59 (Article in Serial). SDV144058.

Enclosure "A", in slight hollow consists of a double line of slabs up to 1.0 meter high, but smaller on the western side where it is heavily robbed. This enclosure would have enclosed approximately 0.066 hectares. This is possibly part of earliest phase of activity on Shaugh Moor. Other details: Figure 7.

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

Enclosure visible containing one hut circle.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 102-103, Map 48, Figure 48.4 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Enclosure 'C' at Shaugh Moor field system Dwith one hut circle. This enclosure and hut circle are in poor condition; stone may have been robbed from here to help build the road to the west. This enclosure appears to have been roughly oval in shape with a central hut and integrated into the reave system by walls at either end. Only the largest blocks from the building remain.

Fletcher, M. + Probert, S., 1998, Shaugh Moor, Devon: An Archaeological Survey (Report - Survey). SDV343481.

(Visited 01/12/1997) Centred at SX 5518 6302. The remains of an enclosure containing one hut circle is cut into a south-west facing hillside at 240 metres above OD. It lies within the parallel reave system (SX 56 SE 78) which has been extensively robbed so is visible in this are chiefly as linear stony lynchets. The surviving part of the enclosure comprises a double-faced boulder/slab wall up to 0.8 metres high with some stone infill. Most of the downhill side has been effaced and the position of the entrance is not clear.
A curvilinear row of eight upright slabs denote the remains of a hut circle located on a gently sloping hillside. A single boulder on the opposite side indicates that the hut was approximately 10.0 metres in overall diameter. It was probably robbed for metalling for the adjacent road.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5563 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A stony bank defined enclosure is visible as an earthwork.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Depicted on English Heritage GIS survey layer.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Enclosure visible on aerial photography.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, SM14 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 04/08/2019. The eight upright slabs making up the remains of a hut circle found but covered in bracken at time of survey. Single slab mentioned in description is as described on its own and firmly fixed. The site is 90% covered with thick bracken. Path 3m to east of pound shows minor wear with bare patches, however boulders on this side prevent path encroachment on site. Photo taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, SM14 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 04/08/2019. Photo taken of the north east corner of the enclosure wall looking south

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

A stony bank approximately 1.5m wide is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 1959 and 1964 as a fragmentary earthwork on the west-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor, defining a rectilinear enclosure approximately 33m long and 22m wide.
The earthworks are interpreted as the remains of an enclosure of probable Bronze Age date. It is possible that the hut circle predates but was associated with the surrounding reave system.
The enclosure is identifiable as a slight earthwork on visualisations derived from low resolution lidar data captured in 2013.
A single possible hut circle is visible within the enclosure and is recorded separately as MDV48882.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4967 - Shaugh Moor Survey (1997-1998)
• 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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