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Summary

Cairn and cist adjacent to the Devonport Leat, north-east of Nun’s Cross. This site is on the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Nun's Cross to Princetown including extensive tinning remains at Whiteworks Tin Mine

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Historical): NI Site
• National Monuments Record: SX67SW77
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443464
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/89

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 (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX67SW77 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV237595.

(09/08/1977) At SX 60767047 on an east-facing slope at approximately 390.0m OD south west of Whiteworks, is a cairn circle and cist. The overall diameter of the cairn is 6.0m with a hight of 0.8m. Seven large orthostats of the retaining circle remain in situ on the south and south-east side (see plan). The cist is entirely below ground level to a depth of 0.7m and measures 1.0m by 0.6m. The two end stones and two side stones are visible; a stone which may be the cover stone lies on the ground to one side. See photograph.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

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

Not visible.

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

(06/06/1988) SX 60767047. A cairn and cist, situated on a steep E facing moorland slope above For Tor Mires.
The cairn, 7.6m W-E by 7.0m N-S and 0.6m high has been mutilated by a leat on its W margin. A well preserved kerb is visible on the N, E and W sides with a maximum height of 0.8m.
The cist, orientated roughly ENE-WSW is slightly to the N of centre of the cairn and is formed by four upright granite slabs. At the surface it measures 0.8m by 0.6m, with the component slabs tapering outwards, beneath ground, to give a bottom measurement of 1.0m by 0.7m at a depth of 0.7m. There is no obvious cover stone in the region of the cairn.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 74, E19 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform circle. Ring of kerb stones, 5.1 meters internal diameter, enclosing flat-topped cairn 0.7 meters high with central cist. A modern bank runs north/south on western edge. Other details: e19.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 222, Map 64, Figure 64.4 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Foxtor Mires W. cairn at SX60767047 of 5.0 metres diameter by 0.5 metres high with a cist. A close set retaining circle with stones not quite in contact surrounds the base of the mound and central cist. One of the overgrown slabs alongside the cist was probably the cover and the edges of others showing through the surface seem to be arranged in an inner ring around it.

GetMapping, 1999 - 2000, Dartmoor 1999-2000 1:1250 Aerial Photography (digital) (Aerial Photograph). SDV345751.

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.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

Welch, B. + Welch, T., 2013, Platform cairn and cist 539 metres north-east of Nun’s Cross Farm (Worksheet). SDV356499.

Overlooking the Fox Tor Mires and the Swincombe Valley, 539 metres north-east of Nun’s Cross Farm sited on a gentle slope situated 15 metres below the existing Devonport Leat.
The platform cairn and cist is intersected at a tangent on its western edge by a disused leat which runs in a north-south direction.
The top platform area of the cairn measures 6.4 metres in diameter. On the southern and eastern circumference of the cairn there can be seen seven visible orthostats, which retain this raised part of the cairn. These orthostats vary slightly in size, the average height of these being 0.75 metres.
The centrally positioned cist measures 0.8 metres in length, 0.5 metres in width and 0.6 metres in depth. A half-buried and part vegetation-covered sloping slab near to the cist might possibly be the capstone of the cist.
On the northern side there is a certain amount of disruption to the shape of the cairn created from spoil which was dug out during the construction of the disused leat.

Welch, B. + Welch, T., 2013, Survey drawing of cairn and cist north-east of Nun's Cross (Plan - measured). SDV356500.

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

'Cairn Circle & Cist' shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8630 - Fox Tor Newtake Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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