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Summary

On the ground only part of the NW side of the ovoid enclosure is traceable, between SX 62687161 and SX 62767170. It utilizes a few natural "grounders" but is mostly of small and medium sized stones with the occasional orthostatic slab. The walling is approximately 1m. wide and up to 0.4m high, often partly concealed by hillwash soil and peat growth, which has covered the remainder of what seem basically two prehistoric fields.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SW247
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 620371
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/118

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

National Monuments Record, 1969, NMR SX6272/1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV214892.

Photograph taken on 12th April 1969.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 1982, Tor Royal Farm (Plan - measured). SDV265836.

Site visited on 23rd August 1982. A fragment of a prehistoric enclosure wall survives in the south-east part of Tor Royal newtake. Contains several slabs set on edge and several quartz blocks. Its visible thickness in approximately 1metre.

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

A complex enclosure of irregular shape is visible at SX62797164. It is not possible to say whether there was originally one or two enclosures, or whether the enclosure was all one unit. The enclosure was certainly partitioned, and probably agglomerated, and there are several banks extending from the core of the enclosure. Two attached hut circles are visible within the enclosure. Banks are visible at:- 1) SX62767172 to SX63107181 (cut by stone wall), 2) SX62787169 to SX62907171, 3) SX62727168 to SX62637175, 4) SX62787160 to SX6288 and to SX62857156 (this bank has been cut by a drystone wall. It may originally have been an enclosure in its own right, and it touches, or nearly touches, the 'main' enclosure at one point).

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

(12/03/1989) The APU transcription (1985) depicts at least three accreted curvilinear enclosures over an area of 6 ha. Most are shown with subdivisions forming small rectilinear plots, often extending across the enclosure walls, near which are three hut circles; all are on a gentle SE slope.
Very little of this can be seen on the ground. There are no hut circles and the small plots seem related to peat cutting, random vegetation growth, and vague natural alignments of boulder clitter.
A simpler interpretation can be deduced from the cropmarks on (low level) RCHME and RAF air photos (1985). These show one ovoid enclosure of about 1 ha, centred at SX 62747163. Adjoining its SE side is another, of perhaps 2.5ha, and of pentagonal plan of its lower side is incorporated on a defunct C18th or C19th bank. This enclosure is bisected by a newtake wall. There appears to be no other archaeological detail.
On the ground only part of the NW side of the ovoid enclosure is traceable, between SX 62687161 and SX 62767170. It utilizes a few natural "grounders" but is mostly of small and medium sized stones with the occasional orthostatic slab. The walling is approximately 1m. wide and up to 0.4m high, often partly concealed by hillwash soil and peat growth, which has covered the remainder of what seem basically two prehistoric fields.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 213, Map 63 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Almost oval enclosure shown with southern boundary missing at 'Royal Hill South-east'. Only occasional slabs or traces of a low bank delimit the rest of what seems to have been a fair sized enclosure. No doubt there were associated buildings but none have been located, presumably completely buried.

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

Irregular linear feature shown on survey.

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

Curvilinear feature visible on aerial photograph.

Environment Agency WMS, 2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362956.

Faint traces visible on Lidar data.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8146 - Royal Commission Survey at Down Ridge and Swincombe
• EDV8628 - Tor Royal Farm Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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