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Summary

Oval cairn of 12.0 metres by 8.0 metres and 0.6 metres high lying 330 metres to the south-east of the Grey Wethers stone circles in the Great Stannon newtake

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018707: Two stone circles known as The Grey Wethers, three round cairns, two ring cairns and an oval enclosure in Great Stannon Newtake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SW88
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 621658
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SW/102
• Old SAM Ref: 28680.5

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Greeves, T., 1983, Cairn in Great Stannon Newtake (Worksheet). SDV261369.

Visited on 9th May 19839. Oval cairn measuring 12.0 metres by 8.0 metres. It is flat-topped apart from a slight hollow in the centre. It appears to have multiple concentric rings of spaced small stones set on edge, with at least six rings being visible on its north side. To the south-east some stones are set at right angles to the rings.

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

Not visible on NMR 1977 aerial photo.

Robinson, R. + Cosford, J., 1986, Dartmoor multiple stone circles, 166-170/map, diagram. (Article in Serial). SDV165686.

The cairn lies in Great Stannon newtake, on a SE slope above the South Teign River near its source. It is about 85m SE of the enclosure at SX 6400 8288. It is a well-defined cairn 10m diameter and 0.6m high, flat-topped apart from a small central hollow. Many small set stones within the body of the cairn, especially visible at the NE side, suggesting at least four concentric circles. Predominantly tangential though some at the SE are radial.

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

(02/07/1990) SX 64078284. This disturbed cairn is prominently situated on a slight rise near the foot of a S-facing hillslope at 461m OD. It measures 8m E-W by approximately 11.5m and has an average height of 0.3m. A kerb is visible on the W as a few low earthfast boulders and on the S as six contiguous moorland slabs which have fallen outwards; the largest slab measures 1.2m wide and 0.5m long. Numerous small boulders protrude through the turf on the flattish heather-covered top which has a slight central depression.
It probably was an 8m diameter kerbed cairn which has been spread by the addition of ?excavation spoil to the N side. The observed pattern of concentric circles of stones noted within the mound (1) could not be identified.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 73/E4 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform cairn. Ring of orthostats, 8 metres internal diameter, contains flat-topped cairn 0.3 metres high. Possible central cist. Cairn material outside circle to north.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 144198 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(09/09/1997) A round cairn 340m SSE of the Grey Wethers stone circles. Diameter 9m, hight 0.6m. Cist. According to Robinson and Cosford the body of cairn appears to have at least 6 concentric rings visible, but the MPPA could not see these. Instead a clearly defined kerb surrounds the flat topped mound. Grass and rushes. No central pit visible. Many stones protrude through the turf.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 165-6, 242, Map 35, Site 17 (Monograph). SDV219155.

South Teignhead cairn at SX64088282 of 8.0 metres by 14.0 metres and 0.5 metres high. The surface of the cairn is uneven as though it has been dug into, and its present sub-rectangular shape may be a distortion of the original. Numerous small stones show through the turf within the body of the mound, many of then upright though not in any obvious pattern, and several larger slabs are aligned along its lower edge.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1018707 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument, which falls into six areas, includes two stone circles, three round cairns, two ring cairns and an oval enclosure lying at the head of three separate rivers within Great Stannon Newtake. A cairn lying south-east of the oval enclosure measures 9 metres in diameter, stands up to 0.6 metres high and is surrounded by a clearly defined kerb.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8650 - Great Stannon Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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