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Summary

Bronze Age settlement on the crest of a steep clitter-covered south-eastern slope overlooking the broad Swincombe valley. Six, possibly eight hut circles, some linked by an enclosure wall, and a small stony mound are visible but there is no trace of an associated field system. Two adjacent small stone clearance mounds to the west are probably of 20th century origin. This site is on the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Walling remains of Bronze Age hut circle settlement south-east of Royal Hill, consisting of at least eight hut circles and part of an enclosure

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Historical): NI Site
• National Monuments Record: SX67SW75
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443458
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/81

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• UNENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, OS/75/389, 130 (Aerial Photograph). SDV237660.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 3430 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX67SW75 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV237659.

(08/08/1977) On a south-facing slope above the River Swincombe at approx. 360.0m OD are the remains of four hut circles, centred at SX 62447133, all extremely ruinous; three of them have walls at ground level and the fourth is 0.3m high. Two have internal diameters of 4.5m and two of 3.0m; their type is impossible to determine.
Traces can be seen of an enclosure wall or possible field boundary on the hillside above the hut circles but so vague as to be un-surveyable. There is no evidence of clearance in the area.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1982, Swincombe Settlement (Worksheet). SDV237661.

Site visited on 7th July 1982. At least seven very ruined small hut circles with remnants of enclosure wall around five of them. The huts and the wall at the top of the enclosure (to the north) are in better condition than the lower end, which may have been robbed for Tor Royal newtake wall. Sketch plan on worksheet.

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

Five hut circles visible, one of which is attached to a bank that may be the remains of an enclosure.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, M. J. Fletcher (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(05/03/1989) Centred SX 62407131. This BA settlement occupies 1.5ha of fairly stone-free moorland pasture, on the crest of a steep clitter-covered SE slope at 366m OD, and overlooks the broad Swincombe valley.
Six, possibly eight hut circles, some linked by an enclosure wall, and a small stony mound are visible but there is no trace of an associated field system. Two adjacent small stone clearance mounds to the W are probably of C20th origin.
a) SX 62377130. A hut circle of internal diameter 2.4m by 2.0m built against a large boulder which has been split by stone cutters. The turf-covered rubble wall is 0.7m wide and 0.3m high with, in the W side, a small circular hollow bounded by low upright stones; there is no trace of an entrance. It is linked to hut `C' by a ragged enclosure wall, on average 0.5m wide and 0.4m high.
b) SX 62397128. A hut circle levelled into the slope and apparently free-standing with an internal diameter of 2.5m. The boulder wall is 0.4m wide and 0.3m high; a large boulder in the N side has been wedge split. The entrance is not traceable.
c) SX 62397134. A well-defined hut circle situated on the line of the enclosure wall. Internally it is 3.0m in diameter with walling 1.4m wide and 0.4m. It incorporates rubble, boulders, and some inner and outer facing slabs survive in situ. One large slab is 1.5m long and 0.7m high and a transverse slab is 1.5m long and 0.3m high. The entrance in the E is adjacent to a stone pit and upcast mound.
d) SX 62417134. A hut circle levelled into the slope and on the line of the enclosure wall. It is 3.0m in diameter internally and the rubble wall is 0.8m wide and 0.3m high; a number of inner and outer facing slabs survive, the largest 1.2m long and 0.6m high. The entrance was probably in the NE.
e) SX 62437135. A well-defined hut circle levelled into the slope and free-standing is 3.0m in diameter internally. The turf-covered spread rubble wall is 1.2m wide and 0.3m high; there is a 2.5m wide gap on the SE side.
f) SX 62427131. A hut-circle levelled into the slope and adjacent to the enclosure wall. It is 3.0m in internal diameter with rubble walling, 1.7m wide and 0.4m high. A 2.0m gap occurs on the SE side.
g) SX 62467133; h) SX 62467135. Two ovoid level stances cut into the fairly steep slope are 2.7m by 2.0m and 3.7m by 4.0m respectively. Both have 0.4m backscarps and are bounded by irregularly spaced large boulders. Possibly robbed hut sites or working floors.
i) SX 62277130. A turf-covered stony mound approximately 3.5m in overall diameter and 0.4m high with a 2.0m diameter central depression. A number of boulders are visible but no upright slabs are apparent. Possibly a cairn or contemporaneous clearance mound.
The two clearance heaps lie to the W of the settlement at SX 62317130.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 213, Map 63 (Monograph). SDV337765.

'Royal Hill South-east' settlement on the west side of the Swincombe valley. A partly enclosed settlement of at least six small huts up to about 4.0 metres diameter. Only part of the circuit wall remains, much of it a single line of slabs and ending on the west side at a small cairn built against a natural boulder.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

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

Hut circles shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8146 - Royal Commission Survey at Down Ridge and Swincombe
• EDV8628 - Tor Royal Farm Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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