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Summary

Remains of an enclosure settlement cut by a modern enclosure wall overlooking the East Dart River. Its boundary is incomplete, the visible remains being 'U' shaped, the northern side is no longer traceable, but it was probably at lease 120 metres north to south by 100 metres with three associated huts

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021335: Prehistoric enclosed settlement 740m north west of Hartland Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SW54
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444003
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SW/89
• Old SAM Ref: 34494

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

NMR, SX68SW54 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV217287.

Royal Air Force, 13/04/1947, CPE/UK/1995, 4365-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV217286.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1982, Field visit (Worksheet). SDV216525.

Prehistoric enclosure with one hut circle, near its centre on the south side of boundary wall (reave?). About 35 0 metres north of Broadun Ring.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1983, Middle Merripit Survey Drawing (Plan - measured). SDV321106.

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

Only the western bank of this enclosure is visible on 1947 RAF AP but there is a possible hut circle at SX63828061 which may relate to this enclosure.

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

(29/09/1989) SX 63778059. The remains of an enclosure settlement cut by a modern enclosure wall lies at 420m OD on steep rough bracken-covered and boulder-strewn slopes overlooking the East Dart River. (See plan at 1:1000).
Its boundary is incomplete, the visible remains being 'U' shaped, the northern side is no longer traceable, but it was probably at lease 120m N-S by 100m transversely, an area of about 1ha.
The boundary, originally an irregular stone wall now collapsed and much robbed, is best preserved at the northern end of the uphill W side where it is a stony scarp 1m high reaching a maximum width of 3.5m with several large stones and boulders of the outer face remaining in situ. Southwards it is heavily robbed and scattered but with several large outer facing stones, boulders and outcropping rock incorporated in it. It then curves around to the E down the step bracken covered slope, more a rubble bank then a scarp, to peter out on a vertical outcrop. From the base of this it re-appears crossing a slight gully as a turf-covered rubble scarp 3.5m to 4m wide and up to 1.3m high. As it curves around to the N there is less and less stone and at the N end of the E side it eventually becomes a turf scarp with visible stone.
No definite entrance can be seen but small gaps, one (a) in the NW and one (b), at the base of the vertical outcrop in the S, may be entrances but could also be due to robbing.
There is a good hut circle (c) set on a slight southwards projecting bracken covered spur within the interior to the SE with excellent views down the valley of the East Dart to the S. It is 4.5m in diameter within a crude boulder wall about 1.5m wide and 0.4m high.
An ill-defined gap about 0.7m wide in the S is probably the entrance.
Another good hut (d) is cut back into the steep slope and actually embedded in the N end of the E side of the enclosure. it measures 4.7m internally with a scarp 1.6m deep at the back merging into god banks 2m wide and 0.5m high both sides of the well defined entrance 0.7m wide in the E. There is a small hollow (e) about 3m diameter 0.7m deep just outside the hut to the NE.
Set up against the wall inside the SW a rather ill-defined platform (f), about 6m diameter, between the centres of an apparent crude stone wall about 1.3m wide, could be the remains of another possible hut, although it may be on no more then fortuitous rubble.
Greeves (3) suggests that the modern enclosure wall crossing the northern end of the settlement from E to W is possibly built on a prehistoric reave but there is no definite evidence to confirm this.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 161-162, Map 35, Figure 35.6 (Monograph). SDV219155.

'Templer's Newtake' enclosure with much of the interior taken up by a large natural depression. To the south-east are a number of tinners' trial pits and the dry ditch of the Powder Mills leat. The western enclosure wall is clearly visible from the edge of the newtake as far as a stony area which then forms part of the boundary. The eastern wall on a steeper gradient is little more than a step in the hillside and ends at a small rock pile. The northern boundary seems to have been completely removed, perhaps to provide material for the newtake walls. Only one hut of circa 4.0 metres diameter has been found within the enclosure, on the lip of the depression.

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

U-shaped enclosure shown on survey with the north side missing.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1021335 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument comprises a prehistoric enclosed settlement situated on an east facing slope overlooking the valley of the East Dart River. The enclosure survives as an incomplete oval shaped area denoted by a rubble wall measuring up to 3 metres wide and standing up to 0.4 metres high. The interior of the enclosure measures 85 metres north-south by 95 metres east-west and contains at least two stone hut circles. Both stone hut circles measure internally 4.6 metres in diameter and have clearly defined entrances.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8648 - Middle Merripit Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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