HeritageGateway - Home
Site Map
Text size: A A A
You are here: Home > > > > Devon & Dartmoor HER Result
Devon & Dartmoor HERPrintable version | About Devon & Dartmoor HER | Visit Devon & Dartmoor HER online...

See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.


HER Number:MDV131257
Name:Western enclosure within settlement east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood

Summary

Western enclosure within settlement east of Yealm Steps covering 0.7 hectares with walls 3 metres wide by 0.6 metres high and containing at least five hut circles

Location

Grid Reference:SX 619 635
Map Sheet:SX66SW
Admin AreaDartmoor National Park
Civil ParishCornwood
DistrictSouth Hams
Ecclesiastical ParishCORNWOOD

Protected Status

Other References/Statuses

  • National Monuments Record: SX66SW30
  • Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/32
  • Old SAM County Ref: 460
  • Old SAM Ref Revised: 24100
  • Old SAM Ref: 10847

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Whitley, N., 1855, Settlement north of Ranny Brook (Plan - sketch). SDV137283.

Visited in September 1855. Plan shows 4 huts within the smaller enclosure, and 14 within the larger. Hunts described as having 'door jambs generally opening to the south: composed of granite slabs set on edge'.

Spence Bate, C., 1870-1871, On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor, 498 (Article in Serial). SDV277110.

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

'Hut Circles' shown on 19th century map within two adjoining enclosures. The western enclosure contains five hut circles and has two entrance on the south side.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX66SW30, SX66SW30 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV146089.

Visited on 31st March 1950. A fine example of enclosure and hut circles. Extensive prehistoric settlement area. Two villages contiguous, the larger pound a development of the smaller. Pound walls and those of huts consist of stone and turf. At least 22 huts within the enclosure. To the north and south of the pounds are scatters of isolated huts generally much larger than the enclosed huts. On the south there are remains of fields or paddocks. Rough moorland.
Visited on 5th August 1977. Extensive settlement covering 6 hectares. At SX61976358 a sub-oval enclosure an enclosed village at Yealm Head. One enclosure about 126 metres square is smaller. Entrance to south. Surrounding wall is almost perfect. Remains of 2 or 3 huts on eastern side of the wall. These huts are straight on two sides and curved on the third. Several more huts in smaller enclosure. Outside the wall on the summit of the hill and on all sides are many other huts.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6363 (Aerial Photograph). SDV156571.

National Monuments Record, 1979, NMR SF1457, 326-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDV172921.

Photograph taken on 1st March 1979.

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

Agglomerated and partitioned enclosure of at least three elements containing 26 hut circles, six attached.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133079 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Visited on 11th March 1993. The western enclosure is the earliest, measures 0.7 hectares and is defined by a 3 metres wide and 0.6 metres high rubble wall. A clearly defined entrance into this enclosure survives in the south-western circuit, but other gaps in the north and south-east may be of more recent origin. Eight hut circles are said to survive within this enclosure, although only five were recorded during the mpp field visit. A gap in the eastern circuit wall of this enclosure leads into the second, later and larger, enclosure.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 183-7, map 52, Figures 52.9 & 52.9.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Complete double enclosure to the north of Ranny Brook. Enclosure 'A' seems to have used material from earlier enclosures in its construction and much of it was rebuilt when Enclosure 'B' was added to the east. The walls are now spread to 5 metres across and still a metre high in places. Two gaps in the opposite walls are likely to be original gateways as each has a pair of large slabs set sideways across it though at the northern entrance one has slipped sideways into the interior. The southern entrance is only 0.4 metres wide. The enclosure contains five definite hut circles and possibly another five small features. There are two further breaks in the perimeter allowing access into the eastern eanclosure.

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

Enclosure and hut circles visible on aerial photograph.

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

'Settlement' shown on modern mapping with two adjoining enclosures. The smaller oval western enclosure contains six hut circles.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1015429 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes a large prehistoric stone hut circle settlement containing 25 stone hut circles. The agglomerate enclosure survives as two sub-circular parts lying across the slope and covers an area of 1.9 hectares. The western enclosure is the earliest. This covers 0.7 hectares and is defined by a 3 metres wide and 0.6 metres high rubble wall. A clearly defined entrance into this enclosure survives in the south-west circuit, but other gaps in the north and south east may be of more recent origin. At least five stone hut circles lie within this enclosure. A gap in the eastern circuit wall of the enclosure leads into the second, later and larger enclosure.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV137283Plan - sketch: Whitley, N.. 1855. Settlement north of Ranny Brook. Survey Drawing. Digital.
SDV137656Monograph: Butler, J.. 1994. Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West. Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West. Three. Paperback Volume. 183-7, map 52, Figures 52.9 & 52.9.1.
SDV146089Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1950/1977. SX66SW30. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index. SX66SW30.
SDV156571Aerial Photograph: National Monuments Record. 1976. NMR SX6363. National Monuments Record Aerial Photograph.
SDV172921Aerial Photograph: National Monuments Record. 1979. NMR SF1457. National Monuments Record Aerial Photograph. 326-7.
SDV277110Article in Serial: Spence Bate, C.. 1870-1871. On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 4. Digital. 498.
SDV277946Report - Survey: Gerrard, S.. 1990-2002. Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset.. Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset.. Mixed Archive Material + Digital. MPP 133079.
SDV319854Cartographic: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1985. Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP. Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England Aerial Photograph P. Cartographic.
SDV336179Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV361462Aerial Photograph: Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC. 2015-2017. 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs. Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC. Photograph (Digital). [Mapped feature: #132673 ]
SDV364015Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2021. MasterMap 2021. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV364016National Heritage List for England: Historic England. 2021. National Heritage List for England. Digital. 1015429.

Associated Monuments

MDV131287Parent of: Hut circle in western enclosure at settlement east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV131288Parent of: Hut circle in western enclosure at settlement east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV131289Parent of: Hut circle in western enclosure at settlement east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV131290Parent of: Hut circle in western enclosure at settlement east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV131291Parent of: Hut circle in western enclosure at settlement east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV131292Parent of: Hut circle in western enclosure at settlement east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV27899Part of: Extensive prehistoric settlement between the River Yealm and Ranny Brook, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV4273Part of: Settlement with two enclosures east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV131258Related to: Eastern enclosure at settlement east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV43756Related to: Hut circle in settlement north of Ranny Brook, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV50932Related to: Hut circle in settlement north of Ranny Brook, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV43755Related to: Hut circle south of enclosures of settlement east of Yealm Steps, Cornwood (Monument)
MDV50921Related to: Leat cutting through prehistoric settlement east of the River Yealm and north of Ranny Brook (Monument)

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded


Date Last Edited:Sep 16 2021 10:50AM