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Summary

A standing stone and triple stone row lying in a secluded position, across the head of a shallow, north facing valley. It measures 147 metres long with rows on average 1.5 m apart. The stones, fifty three of which were located during 1996 survey work, have a maximum height of 0.2 m and are spaced about 1.1 m apart, each opposite the stone of the adjacent row. There is also a possible former standing stone which is now recumbent.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020487: Part of the Dartmeet coaxial field system and other archaeological remains on Holne Moor west and north west of Venford Reservoir

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SE72
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443069
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SE/139
• Old SAM Ref: 22368
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67SE72

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• STANDING STONE (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• STONE ALIGNMENT (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Woolner, D. + Woolner, A., 1962, Holne Moor stone row, 3 (Article in Serial). SDV153226.

Triple stone row on Holne Moor.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX67SE72 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV153225.

(13/07/1977) SX 67447098 to SX 6757091. The triple stone row lies in a secluded position, across the head of a shallow, north facing, valley at 360 m above OD. It is aligned on a bearing of 112 degrees and is 147 m long with rows on average 1.5 m apart. It was parallel to a terminal reave 7 m to the north east (SX 67 SE 92).
The stones, seventy five of which were located, have a maximum height of 0.2 m and are spaced about 1.1 m apart, each opposite the stone of the adjacent row.
Thirty metres of the west part of the row is fairly complete, terminating with three traverse blocking stones, the centre one of which measure 0.8 m by 0.3 m and is 1.0 m high.
Immediately to the west are two prone slabs which may have been standing stones. One is 0.5 m by 0.3 m and 3.5 m long, the other 0.8 m by 0.3 m and 2.0 m long. See photograph.
The remainder of the row has been much destroyed and midway it is crossed by a mining 'rake'. In isolation at the presumed east end there is a fallen transverse stone, 0.7 m wide and 1.2 m long, which may have been the blocking stone to the north outer row.
Divorced survey at 1:10 000 on PFD.
Enlargement at 1:500 on 495.

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

Not visible on 1946 aerial photographs.

Taylor, I., 1987, Triple stone row on Holne Moor (Personal Comment). SDV153227.

Telephone call on 24th July 1987. At western end a triangular blocking stone flanked by two recumbent stones.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 193, Map 60, Figure 60.14 & 60.14.1 (Monograph). SDV337765.

'Holne Moor triple stone rows' is laid out alongside the Holne Moor boundary reave roughly parallel with it and 5 to 7 metres to the south. A tall pillar stood at the higher end set across the west end of the central row. The pillar of 3.4 metres long has fallen forwards long ago for even its socket hole has silted up. It was flanked by a shorter pillar 1.7 metres long facing the south row and probably another on the north side which has disappeared though its site is marked by a depression in the ground. Cross set pillars seem to have terminated the lower east ends as well though only one across the north row remains, a fallen slab 1.5 metres long, fixing the original length at 147.5 metres. The rest of the stones are uniformly small just their tops above the turf and none higher than 0.25 metres with gaps far exceeding the visible runs. Only 20 per cent of the original total of about 318 stones are showing. Severe damage has been caused by a ditch 7 metres wide cutting across the alignment. The north and central rows are 1.4 metres apart but the centre and south rows converge slightly to the east from 1.5 to 1.3 metres. The intervals between the stones along the rows was 1.4 metres

Quinell, N. V., 1995, Notes on Possible Stone Row (Personal Comment). SDV237623.

Notes on 22nd March 1995.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1996, Holne Moor Survey (Report - Survey). SDV154079.

(28/02/1996) This feature is as described in 1977 though at the time of investigation (Feb 1996) only 53 stones were visible. The remainder are probably obscured by turf.

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

Fallen pillar at west end of rows visible on aerial photograph.

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

'Stone Rows' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1020487 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

The monument, which falls into four separate areas of protection, includes a stone alignment.

Newman, P., 2024, A Triple Stone Row on Holne Moor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A New Survey and Assessment of Condition (Report - Survey). SDV365906.

Survey undertaken in February 2024 to record the stone alignments and plot the current spread of erosion which is affecting the site. This site; one of only four triple stone rows on Dartmoor, is constructed from very small stones and is particularly fragile. Despite a medieval stone wall constructed nearby, there appears to have been limited stone robbing from the rows in places; Newman estimates that around 40% of the original stones remain in place. Jeremy Butler's calculated 318 stones may have originally existed; 130 were recorded in this survey, with perhaps c.50 obscured by vegetation at the eastern end. 24 stones are known to have been removed by tinworking activity. Severe erosion is threatening this feature and up to 60 stones are located within the extreme erosion zone, only 20 of which are still earthfast. Addressing the current problems of erosion and damage to the site by wheeled vehicles, as well as vegetation clearance is essential to preserve it for future years.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7100 - Holne Moor Survey
• EDV9016 - Survey of the triple stone row on Holne Moor

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