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Summary

A revetted mound adjoins the south side of one of the granite outcrops at High Willhays. Measuring 19 metres east to west by 18 metres overall it stands around 0.8 metres high. The sides of the mound are formed by coursed granite slabs and boulders and the top is largely flat though a hollow has formed in the southern half.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1010593: Tor cairn 180m north of High Willhays summit

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58NE18
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440500
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58NE/41
• Old SAM Ref: 24159

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RING CAIRN (Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• TOR CAIRN (Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 200 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 159 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(11/07/1976) SX 58018945 A cairn or ring cairn constructed on the south side of the tor or outcrop. Slabs of circumference slope outwards. Diameter 23m, height 0.9m. This may be the traces of cairn recorded by Crossing between Yes Tor and High Willhays.

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

Not visible on 1946 aerial photographs.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 37 69 fig 9/A65. (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Higher Willhayes ring cairn. Irregular segment of stone ring set against rock outcrop. Measures 10m wide north-south and 5.5m radius to outcrop, with bank 1m wide and 0.2m high. Also contains segment of stone setting 7.5m wide north-south, 2.5m radius to outcrop.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133298 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(10/02/1994) Tor cairn at SX 58038937, near the summit of High Willhays. Cairn includes a semi circular stone faced bank attached to the southern face of a large rock outcrop. Ring bank survives as a 1.5m wide curving earthwork standing up to 0.7m high. A short length of the outer face of the south-western part of the bank is faced with large slabs of stone laid flat and standing up to 3 courses high. This kerb probably survives elsewhere within the ring bank as a buried feature. The area enclosed by the ring bank measures 10m east-west by 7m north-south.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 215, 245, Map 42, Site '2' (Monograph). SDV219155.

High Willhays? cairn at SX58048938 of 22 metres diameter is a roughly circular bank built against the base of one of the outcrops on High Willhays which may be the gutted remnant of a cairn. Layered slabs surround a flat peat-covered interior.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(15/09/2003) SX 58028944. A revetted mound adjoins the south side of one of the granite outcrops at High Willhays. Measuring 19m east to west by 18m overall it stands around 0.8m high. The sides of the mound are formed by coursed granite slabs and boulders and the top is largely flat though a hollow has formed in the southern half. This feature must be regarded as a tor cairn though its construction is somewhat uncharacteristic of similar features. There is no evidence to suggest the presence of a cist or a more conventional kerb.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England, 1010593 (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

The cairn includes a ring bank 1.5 metres wide standing up to 0.7 metres high. A short length of the outer face of the south western part of the bank is faced with large slabs of stone laid flat and standing up to three courses high. The area enclosed by the ring bank measures 10 metres east to west by 7 metres north to south.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7620 - Okehampton Artillary Range
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range

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