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Summary

North Hameldon Reave - Fleming's "Hameldon North". A reave is a bank of earth and stone, sometimes running for a considerable distance it is a regional term specific to Dartmoor. They are land divisions that date back to the Bronze Age.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: North Hameldon Reave, an east-west reave running across Hamel Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1043244
• National Monuments Record: LINEAR 150
• National Monuments Record: SX78SW64
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SW/94

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Burnard, R., 1889, The Great Central Trackway of Dartmoor, 431-6 (Article in Serial). SDV265941.

SX 7038 8038: A reave, formerly considered part of the "Great Central Trackway" (also known as "Great Central Reave")

Fleming, A., 1978, The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor. Part 1: South Dartmoor, 97-123 (Article in Serial). SDV235265.

North Hameldon Reave (approximate site).

Fleming, A., 1983, The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor. Part 2: North and East Dartmoor, 204 (Article in Serial). SDV227880.

Fleming's "Hameldown North".

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

Marked on map overlay.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, P. Pattison (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(21/09/1990) SX 7012 8031 to SX 7099 8051: the section investigated runs over Hamel Down Tor and descends the E slope as a heather-covered stony bank, 1.5m - 3.5m wide and 0.6m - 1m high, with a smooth bowl profile. Aligned ENE-WSW, it follows a fairly straight course. It emerges from marshy ground on the W slope of Hamel Down close to a stream head (see SX 68 SE 170 - record 918040 - for continuation W). There is a curious stagger in its line at SX 7017 8033 and a 21m break in marsh at SX 7028 8036.
The RCHM APP shows a bank branching off the reave to the N from SX 7030 8034 and continuing for 300m on the W side of Hamel down Tor (MDV26691). This feature could not be located on the ground nor identified on the photos used. Similarly, a hut circle shown at SX 7004 8030 is in fact a vegetation mark in the marsh next to the stream (Royal Commission APP, 1985).
Two stones set in the reave may be boundary stones, though of unknown date:
SX 7051 8041: an oval-topped slab 0.5m long, 0.5m wide and 0.15m thick, leaning 60 degrees to the E.
SX 7035 8037: a sub rectangular sectioned upright granite post 0.8m high 0.4m wide and 0.3m thick is placed on top of the reave, with a slight lean to the NW.
SX 7046 8040: on the E slope of Hamel Down, a circular stony mound is incorporated into the reave (? a marker cairn). It measured 4.5m across by 4.0m high and has a slightly dished top.
SX 7099 8051: the reave appears to be lost to erosion on the N lip of a steep ravine falling to the East Webburn River but it may once have continued into enclosed land just N of Natsworthy Manor; A.P's suggest that it underlies and is partly utilised in medieval fields with ridge-and-furrow, from SX 7135 8052 to SX 7177 8036 (Royal Commission 1985).
Partly surveyed at 1:2500.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Reave is visible on the aerial photography.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8658 - Challacombe, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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