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Summary

Eastern enclosure at settlement to the east of Yealm Steps covering 1.2 hectares with walls 2.5 metres wide by 1 metre high enclosing 19 hut circles and another attached to the southern boundary

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1015429: Prehistoric stone hut circle settlement, a contemporary field system, post-medieval buildings and two lengths of leat 310m south east of Yealm Steps

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 eastern enclosure contains seventeen hut circles and an 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.

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. This agglomerate enclosure containing 25 hut circles forms the central part of a large hut settlement, lying on a south-facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Yealm. Enclosure includes two sub-circular parts lying across the slope and covering an area of 1.9 hectares. The eastern enclosure covers 1.2 hectares and is defined by a 2.5 metres wide and 1 metre high rubble wall. Nineteen hut circles lie within this enclosure, one is attached to the southern outer face and one lies either side of the boundary between the two enclosures.

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

Complete double enclosure to the north of Ranny Brook. Enclosure 'B' attached to the east side of Enclosure 'A' with two entrance from it and a further four entrances to the east and south. The enclosure contains at least 20 huts and other features with the 'upper leat' cutting into the eastern half of the enclosure and the 'lower leat' skirting the southern boundary.

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 eastern enlcosure contains fifteen 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 eastern enclosure covers 1.2 hectares and is defined by a 2.5 metres wide and 1 metre high rubble wall. Nineteen stone hut circles lie within this enclosure, one is attached to the southern outer face and another lies either side of the boundary between the two enclosures. This last hut appears to underlie the enclosure boundary and this would suggest that some of the huts may have been constructed before the enclosure.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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