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Summary

Simple cairn at the north-east end of the south-westernmost double stone row at Drizzlecombe (Worth's row 17). Measures 6.7m in diameter, up to 0.8m high, with central hollow 2.3m by 1.5m by 0.25m deep. A small number of edge stones around the periphery may represent a kerb, although Quinnell (1995) suggests many may be naturally occurring. A large flat stone, 1.7m by 1m by 0.3m thick, situated immediately south of the mound has been identified as the displaced cover stone from a cist (Gerrard, 1993), but Quinnell suggests this was once the terminal stone from the row.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014145: Three stone alignments, 15 cairns, a cist, a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement and a small clapper bridge at Drizzle Combe

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE42
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/277/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 462
• Old SAM Ref: 24104
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX56NE46
• Pastscape: 438619

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 293 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

Cairn, un-circled, at north-east end of Row A of Drizzlecombe group. Measures 5.4m in diameter.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX56NE46, Tumulus (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272651.

(30/05/1950) A turf covered cairn 5.5m diameter and 0.8m high with no retaining circle.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 168 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(29/07/1972) Diameter 6m and height 0.7m.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX56NE46 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV363472.

(01/02/1979) This double stone row, the southernmost of the three at Drizzlecombe, has an overall length of 139.5m, or 150.0m if measured to the centre of the cairn which terminates the row at the north-east end. The cairn has a diameter of 6.3 m and a height of 0.6 m. Three of four stones on the circumference form part of a possible cairn circle and there is a small depression in the top of the cairn. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD and at 1:2500 for AO Records.

National Monuments Record, 1983, SF2134, 79 (Aerial Photograph). SDV231262.

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

Recorded in project.

Quinnell, N. V., 1988, Plan of the Drizzlecombe Stone Rows and associated features, Cairn D (Plan - measured). SDV232055.

Stone row surveyed in 1988 and cairn surveyed in 1995 by N. Quinnell for the new visitor leaflet.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133418 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(12/03/1993) Cairn at SX 5916 6695. Measures 6.7m in diameter, up to 0.8m high, with central hollow 2.3m by 1.5m by 0.25m deep. Small number of edge stones around the periphery represent a kerb. Large flat stone, 1.7m by 1m by 0.3m thick, situated immediately south of the mound may be the displaced cover stone from a cist.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 137 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Cairn, NAR 56NE46 (Worksheet). SDV272624.

(SX 5916 6695) The smallest and most simple of the terminal cairns in the Drizzlecombe group at the north-east end of Worth's Row 17, which is aligned upon the centre.
Measures 0.6m high with diameter of 7.3m by 6.5m, with flattish top 3.3m across eccentric to the perimeter. In this is an excavation pit 2.3m wide by 0.25m deep. The north-east edge of cairn is relatively straight, perhaps distorted by robbing a 1m band of stone. If so it would account for the offset top and excavation which would normally be central. On north-west side a slight tunnel has been dug for 3.5m along the perimeter.
There are five earth fast stones around the cairn edge, the highest 0.15m. It is uncertain if these represent a kerb and three (2, 3, 5 on plan) are small and perhaps naturally occurring. A group of displaced stones (6, 7, 10 on plan) have no obvious significance. One stone (4 on plan) is of particular importance; a slab of such size it is unlikely to relate to the peripheral structure of the cairn. Long displaced, it seems possible that it was formerly the end stone of Row 17 and may have been set up where there is now a clear depression (8). Alternatively, but less likely, it came from an unrecorded cist within the cairn. Measured plan also included.

Devon Archaeological Society, 1995, The Drizzlecombe Stone Rows (Leaflet). SDV272662.

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

(23/08/1999) The stone row and the cairn are as described on a large scale plan by Quinnell (1988/1995).

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

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

Cairn is faintly visible on the aerial photography. The large slab is clearly visible.

Various, 2018-2019, PALs Condition Recording forms, UP-DZ 19 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 05/02/2020. Overall condition good. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2019, PALs Condition Recording photographs, UP-DZ 19 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 010° showing reeds and bracken round cap stone and grass/moss and bracken on cairn.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey
• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor

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