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Summary

Field system to the north and south of enclosure at Higher Piles to the north of Piles Brook

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1013110: Enclosure with hut circles in Higher Piles newtake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SW52
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/91
• Old SAM County Ref: 816
• Old SAM Ref: 10531
• Pastscape: 442330

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

Enclosure and 'Hut Circle' shown on 19th century map.

Brooking-Rowe, J., 1894, 6th Report of the Committee on Devonshire Records, 86 (Article in Serial). SDV157021.

Baring Gould, S., 1900, A Book of Dartmoor, 48 (Monograph). SDV277387.

National Monuments Record, 1969, NMR SX6463, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV165976.

Photograph taken on 22nd April 1976.

National Monument Record, 1976, SX6461, 2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV147975.

Photograph taken on 22nd April 1976.

Hankin, C. F., 1977-1979, Harford Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV149931.

Site visited on 16th June 1976. A square enclosure. The wall all round is complete and substantially built with large stones. Many stones are over 1.8 metres long. One stone near the entrance on the south side is 2.59 metres long. The entrance is well defined, 1.1 metre width and has an upright stone at each side. The enclosed area has not been cleared of stones and there is no sign of there ever having been cultivation or clearance for pasture. The west wall appears to have been extended both north and south along ground covered by clitters of large stones. There is also some suggestion of a wall about 75 metres from the enclosure running down towards the River Erme, and also east parallel to the south wall of the enclosure. A single hut circle adjoins the wall at the south west corner, outside the enclosure. Entrance at the south side of the hut circle, large stones in the wall. A second hut circle was recognised in 1977-79 terraced into the south wall of the enclosure, about 25 metres east of the gateway. Small stones loosely laid, internal diameter 4.5 metres, scattered wall less than 1 metre high, no obvious entrance.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV342809.

Site visited on 1st June 1982.

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

Enclosure visible on aerial photograph consisting of one roughly square compartment with the remains of another compartment attached to the south. A system of banks, possibly representing the remains of fields, is attached to the east part of the enclosure and leads down to Piles Brook. One hut circle is visible within the enclosure, another is visible about 20 metres to the west.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Site visited on 19th December 1986.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 44-46, Map 54, Figure 54.5 (Monograph). SDV337765.

The outer enclosure at 'Piles Brook North' is bounded by a bank and ditch is likely to have been enclosed in prehistoric times. The area between the northern and southern extensions and the pound wall as well as the interior of the pound have been cleared and the surface stone collected into a number of cairns.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Field sysytem surrounding pound visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

'Field System' shown on modern mapping.

National Monuments Record, 2020, Pastscape, 1013110 (Website). SDV363416.

This enclosure, on a west-facing slope in Higher Piles newtake, above the River Erme, consists of a main sub-rectangular enclosure 92 metres by 80 metres, with two hut circles, and a subsidiary area on its south side, 53 metre by 36 metres. The wall around the smaller area of the enclosure follows the line of the main west wall, then turns east and continues up the slope as a slight bank and ditch. The wall has two set faces in its western stretch, but beyond the first hut circle it is not faced and is wider and more tumbled. The changes of character may reflect later re-building.

National Monuments Record, 2020, Pastscape, 442330, SX66SW52 (Website). SDV363416.

Field Investigation on 5th August 1977. The remains of a possible enclosure with a double wall 1.2 metres thick, adjoins on the south of the settlement. Coursing to a height of 0.6 metres, survives on the west side of this enclosure and runs over the hut circle at SX 64396137 suggesting that it has at least in part, been rebuilt. The interiors of the enclosures and the surrounding hillside are clitter strewn and have been partly cleared, probably at the time of the newtake, since field clearance heaps lie along the line of the north and east walls of the first enclosure. Two circular clearance heaps, 10 metres diameter and 1 metre high lie to the north of the enclosure.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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