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Summary

Hut circle in the small enclosure on the west bank of the Cowsic river of 3.0 metres diameter with walls 1.0 metres wide by 0.5 metres high and a levelled interior with a possible entrance to the south

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012542: Enclosure and stone hut circle 200m south of Broad Hole

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NE8
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439587
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/25
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/25/1
• Old SAM Ref: 22251

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57NE8, Sketch plan (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV275120.

Visited 27/6/1950 Hut circle and enclosure (remains of SX59067837). The hut circle which is described but not shown on the 6 inch mapping, is in a ruinous condition. Measures approximately 4.0 metres in diameter with wall composed of turf-covered stones. No visible entrance.
The hut is attached to an enclosure measuring 13 metres (north-south) by 21 metres (east-west). The wall is also composed of similar turf-covered stones in a fragmentary condition.
Visited 19/12/1950 Hut circle is 10 feet (3.05 metres) in diameter. Enclosure measures 44 feet (13.4 metres) by 63 feet (19.2 metres). In good condition.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/F64/58/6399, 034-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV255307.

National Monuments Record, 1979, NMR SF1510, 205 (Aerial Photograph). SDV273995.

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

Visible on Royal Air Force 1964 and National Monuments Record 1979 aerial photographs. Recorded on map overlay.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP, 1992 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Hut circle attached to enclosure.Conjoined hut circle with rubble bank wall. Internal diameter of east room 2.3 metres diameter, wall 1.4 metres wide, 0.4 metres high. Doorway to south. West room measures 1.3 metres diameter, wall 1.2 metres wide, 0.2 metres high.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 64-5, Map 29.14 (Monograph). SDV219155.

One of two (other is MDV4623) minute homesteads below Beardown Tors, each consisting of a single oval enclosure less than 25 metres across at most with a tiny hut (2.5 metres in diameter) built across the line of the circuit wall.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(11/07/1994) Centred SX 59137837. The site is as described in 1978 though there appears to be a small annexe measuring 3.0 metres (north-south) by 2.2 metres attached to the west wall of the hut. There is no obvious entrance to this additional feature.

Newman, P., 2004, Merrivale Range Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV346874.

(30/11/2003) Merrivale Range Baseline Condition Survey visit. The hut is in a stable condition in an area of short grass.

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

Hut circle shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Merrivale Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361635.

A hut circle within a small enclosure on a shelf on the east bank of the Cowsic River.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

This monument includes an oval enclosure with a single stone hut circle built across the northern line of the boundary wall and is situated on a terrace lying immediately west of the River Cowsic. The interior of the enclosure measures 21m east to west by 13m north to south and is defined by rubble walling 1.5m thick and 0.4m high. A lowering of the wall just east of the stone hut circle may indicate the position of the entrance. The stone hut circle is composed of a stone and earth wall 1.4m wide and 0.6m high defining an internal area measuring 2.3m in diameter. A circular stone built structure is attached to the western wall of the hut and measures 1.3m in internal diameter and is defined by a 1.2m wide and 0.2m high wall.

National Monument Record, 2018, Pastscape, (1978 data) (Website). SDV360651.

On a relatively flat shelf, above the valley bottom, about 442.0 metres OD, is an enclosed hut circle. The oval enclosure is 21.0 metres by 13.0 metres with rubble walling 1.5 metres thick and 0.4 metres high. A lowering of the wall just to the east of the hut is the only visible evidence suggestive of an entrance. The Type 2 hut measures 3.0 metres in internal diameter with walling 1.0 metres thick and 0.5 metres high and has a levelled interior. The entrance is probably in the south. The hut and enclosure are in good condition.
Revised at 1:10 000 on PFD. (Type site SX 56 NE 71). See ground photograph (citing Ordnance Survey Field Investigators Comments, 01/09/1978).

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

'Hut Circle & Enclosure' shown on modern mapping

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7441 - Condition survey of the archaeological sites of Merrivale Training Area
• EDV7570 - Condition survey of Merrivale Range training area
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8713 - Merrivale Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey

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