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Summary

Thought originally to be a damaged ring cairn, the feature consists of a large oval depression, surrounded by a stony ring with some slabs in upright positions. Feature is thought to potentially be a 'sacred' pool designed in Prehistoric times. When the feature was robbed of stone for road-building, a sword thought to be 19th century date was found beneath the surface.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and walling of Bronze age parallel reave field system with hut circle settlements and cairns, plus deserted Medieval settlements with long houses and pillow mounds, on Wigford Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NW22
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439080
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NW/11
• Old SAM County Ref: 435

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN? (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• POND (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC? (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1943, 62nd Report on Barrows, 54 (Article in Serial). SDV165840.

On or near the summit of Wigford Down, there are five cairns or remains of cairns. Four are shown on the Ordnance Survey 6 inch map series.
(2) Approximately 100 feet (30m) south-west of the cairn circle (SX56NW21 - MDV2312) near the summit of Wigford Down is a ring cairn, which had been an ordinary bowl cairn until robbed for road making. Only the margin, where the stones are merged with the turf, is left, giving it somewhat the appearance of a small pound. Called 'enclosure' on the Ordnance Survey map. Diameter east-west 100 feet (30m), north-south 65 feet (19.8m).
An iron sword was found below the surface when the stones were taken, thought by those who saw it at the time to be a weapon of modern type; some thought it to be a Yeomanry sword.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, 3239-40 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340833.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950-1951, SX56NW22 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV252357.

(18/05/1950) This is a complete cairn circle.
Cairn is an oval banked enclosure (?) A cattle pound or an "earth circle" (Citing Fox, A., 1951).

Ordnance Survey, 1953-1969, 1953-1969 National Grid OS A edition imperial, 1954 edition (Cartographic). SDV352727.

(SX 54646507) Cairn (NR).

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 157 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(06/05/1976) Site now represented by an oval cavity. No measurements.

Price, D. G., 1978, Settlement and ancient fields on Wigford Down, 69-75 (Article in Serial). SDV220620.

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

Visible on 1946 Royal Air Force aerial photograph and recorded on map overlay.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 80, Map 48, Figure 48.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Wigford Down cairn '3' at SX54656507 of 39.0 metres by 19.0 metres by 0.5 metres high. May have been a ring cairn, its slightly lowered interior surrounded by a stony bank in which a few upright slabs are visible. According to Worth's Barrow Report of 1943 it was originally bowl-shaped but in 'recent history' was robbed to ground level for road material when an iron sword of 'modern type' was found 'not far below the surface' (citing Worth, R. H., 1943). Worth may have mistaken the identity of the cairn concerned, as his description of the monument 53 years earlier describes it much as it is now.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Marked as a pond on the modern mapping.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WD-6 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(24/03/2020) Pool has grass/moss cover at sides, with reeds on north, west and east sides and occasional gorse outcrops.

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

Site recorded during condition visit.

Greeves, T. A. P., 2019, Dartmoor's Sacred Pools. Design in the Prehistoric Landscape, 41, Wigford Down A (Article in Serial). SDV363426.

SX 54652 65080 Wigford Down pool A measures 25 by 15m. One of over 40 such 'sacred' pools identified on Dartmoor that are thought to have potentially been designed during the prehistoric period, and may have been used to deposit votive items, although these Dartmoor examples may have alternative significance as designed prehistoric elements in the landscape. Many are located on ridge tops and in conjunction with cairns, stone rows and other prehistoric features. Further research may well reveal more about these interesting features.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV8376 - SWORD (XIX - 1860 AD to 1899 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV8316 - Wigford Down PAL survey

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