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Summary

A disturbed sub-rectangular enclosure containing two, possibly four hut circles and several small pens. The enclosure measures 74 meres north-south by 45 metres and is bounded by a stony bank around 2.0 metres wide and 0.7 metres high. Parts of the perimeter have been incorporated into a medieval field system, now abandoned, formerly part of Trowlesworthy Farm. Aside from its partial reuse the enclosure has been used as a repository for cleared surface stone and the interior remodelled using this material to create several pens. It is difficult to determine which features, other that the hut circles, are original components of this monument.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020323: Prehistoric and historic archaeological landscape at Trowlesworthy Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE16
• National Monuments Record: SX56SE229
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1360493
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439151
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/236
• Old SAM County Ref: 280
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24232
• Old SAM Ref: 10820

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

Enclosure shown on 19th century map with several internal features.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Enclosure and hut circles shown on early 20th century map with part of the southern boundary missing.

Curwen, E. C., 1927, Prehistoric Agriculture in Britain, 282-6 (Article in Serial). SDV173835.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX56SE16, SX56SE16 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV138459.

Enclosure wall of scattered stones is 2 metres wide and 0.8 metres high.

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1953, Prehistoric Settlements on Dartmoor and the Cornish Moors, 64 (Article in Serial). SDV337080.

Possibly the example of an enclosure at Trowlesworthy cited as containing lynchets.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX5764 (Aerial Photograph). SDV138979.

Photograph taken on 8th April 1976.

Price, D. G., 1977, Settlement at Trowlesworthy Warren, 44, Figure 1 (Article in Serial). SDV150433.

Enclosure on Trowlesworthy Warren. One hut circle 10 metres in diameter and five platform sites. Partly cleared interior. Figure 1, however, shows three hut circles and a probable lynchet. Some prominent orthostats.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE229 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV363610.

(22/05/1977) SX 5711 6434. An enclosure, measuring 75m by 45m (0.3 hectares in area), constructed of orthostatic walling, 1.6m wide, with very prominent orthostats at regular 15.0m intervals. There are two entrances; one, 0.8m wide, marked by transverse boulders and 1.0m long inturns; the other, 2.0m wide with a single inturn. A third gap in the north-west angle is probably the result of Medieval re-building of the south-west wall. It contains 4 type 2 huts, average internal diameter 5.5m, walls 1.2m wide, terraced against the enclosure wall; one has entrance jambs in the south-east. There is a yard, 17m by 12m, against the east wall, adjoining one hut and linked by the remains of a smaller yard to a second hut.
Formerly recorded as part of SX 56 SE 16

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

Ovoid enclosure visible containing five hut circles, three of them attached.

Mercer, R. J., 1987, An Archaeological Field Survey of the Upper Plym Valley, Dartmoor 1982-1986, 8, 10 and 12a (Report - Survey). SDV165948.

North sector of enclosure is constructed of a double row of orthostats infilled with stones. Elsewhere the wall consists of turfed over and more widely-spaced large boulders. Dimensions of the area enclosed is 70 metres by 50 metres with the wall up to 2 m etres high.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140664 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 9th April 1995. Simple enclosure at SX57086437 within an historic field system. Survives as a 70 metre by 50 metre oval area surrounded by a 2 metre wide and 1 metre high orthostatic wall with rubble infill. At least four hut circles and two platforms are visible within the enclosure, all of which are attached to its inner face. Lengths of the north and west enclosure wall partly underlie later historic field boundaries.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 158, Map 51, Figure 51.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Enclosure 'I' with three or four hut circles and a series of courts around the edge.

Robertson, J. G., 1994, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym Valley (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV139549.

Enclosure and six hut circles depicted and described by Robertson.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 3, 102 012a (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Enclosure 70 metres long by 50 metres wide with a wall up to 2 metres high. The northern section of the enclosure is constructed of a double row of orthostats infilled with stones. Elsewhere the wall is turfed over with widely spaced large boulders. The north-east corner of the enclosure has collapsed inwards and a later wall is superimposed on the west side. An entrance in the northern sector is marked by a 0.8 metre wide gap flanked by large facing slabs. There is a possible lynchet against the east wall of the enclosure

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

(23/05/2002) Centred SX 5711 6436. A disturbed sub-rectangular enclosure containing two, possibly four hut circles and several small pens.
The enclosure measures 74m north-south by 45m and is bounded by a stony bank around 2.0m wide and 0.7m high. Parts of the perimeter have been incorporated into a medieval field system, now abandoned, formerly part of Trowlesworthy Farm. Aside from its partial reuse the enclosure has been used as a repository for cleared surface stone and the interior remodelled using this material to create several pens. It is difficult to determine which features, other that the hut circles, are original components of this monument.
SX 5713 6433. An infilled hut circle now visible as a levelled stony platform 7.5m in diameter and 1.0m high.
?SX A ring of upright slabs and blocks enclose a levelled area measuring 6.3m north-south by 5.7m. There is no obvious entrance.
The two possible huts lie adjacent to each other at SX 5709 6438. Both consist of a level area approximately 7.0m north-south by 5m enclosed by crude stony walls that have been supplemented by later clearance stone.
The pens or yards within this enclosure are undoubtedly the result of later activity and consist of a series of poorly built loops attached mainly to the east side.

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

Enclosure shown on survey with many internal features.

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

Enclosure shown on survey.

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

Enclosure visible on aerial photograph.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UPTR-33 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(20/07/2020) Condition assessed as good. A disturbed site hard to make out possible hut circles. Photographs taken of areas of interest, as well as general views of enclosure and east side pens. There is vegetation encroachment (bracken) mainly on the west and south boundary, otherwise enclosure is free of bracken and area grazed by sheep. Light tracks cross the site and a couple of light scarps noticed but no damage to site.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs (Photograph). SDV363073.

Images taken in July 2020.

Historic England, 2019, National Heritage List for England, 1020323 (National Heritage List for England). SDV362730.

Enclosure 80 metres by 50 metres with bank up to 3 metres wide and 1 metre high. Six internal attached hut circles up to 10 metres diameter with walls up to 2 metres thick and 0.6 metres high.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7369 - Survey of Granite Loading Bays at Trowlesworthy, Devon
• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)

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