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Summary

The kerbed cairn survives as an oval mound measuring up to 10 metres long by 5 metres wide. The cairn has an interior kerb with a 6.3 metre diameter composed of at least five massive stones up to 2.4 metres long and 0.9 metres high, four of which are still standing and the fifth is fallen.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002521: Hut circles W of Wigford Down China Clay Works
• 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: SX56SW6
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439543
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SW/3
• Old SAM County Ref: 434

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RING CAIRN (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, plate 10, fig 1. (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.
(4) Almost touching cairn 3 (MDV2368) on south-east side is the retaining circle of another cairn. The mound is only represented by stony ground. Internal diameter of the circle measures 20ft. 6in. (6.2m). Several of the stones are now missing. Very large stones remain, the largest 8ft. 8in. (2.6m) in length, standing 3ft. 1in. (0.94m) above present ground level with a thickness of 1ft. 6in. (0.45m).
Within the circle lies a flat stone, 5ft. 2in. (1.57m) in length and thought to be of similar breadth. This stone may have covered an interment, but is more probably a stone displaced from the circle.
The Ordnance Survey marks this feature as a ‘kistvaen’. There is no clear evidence of a kist. The stones of the circle lean slightly inwards. See plate 10, fig 1 for view of the largest stone.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, 3238-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340833.

('A' - SX 54706495, 'B' - SX 54696496) Cairn Circles (NR).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX56SW6, Cairn 'A' (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV250206.

Originally identified as hut circles and marked on the mapping as such. Correctly identified in 1948 by Worth.
One of two cairn circles, both in a raised platform. The stones are mostly slabs laid lengthways.
SX 5470 6495 Cairn A. Ring of large stones. Cist cover in centre. Diameter 7.62 metres. No sign of a mound.

Fox, A., 1954, Celtic Fields and Farms on Dartmoor in Light of Recent Excavations at Kestor, 102 (Article in Serial). SDV231175.

Ancient Monuments, 1959, Ancient Monuments detail (Report - Survey). SDV250201.

One of two hut circles west of Wigford Down China Clay Works. Diameter 8.23 metres, internally built of large stones 0.6 - 0.9 metres high.

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

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV1004.
27/7/1972 Possible retaining circle of robbed cairn. Diameter 9.0 metres, height 0.3 metres.

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

National Trust, 1984, Goodameavy, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV337035.

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

Not visible on the 1946 Royal Air Force vertical aerial photographs.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 38, 64, 70, B9 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Embanked stone circle; an annular bank of earth and/or stones with inner edge of orthostats. Very large stones in circle, only four standing, one 2.5 metres wide and 1.0 metres high. Ring internal diameter 7.2 metres with bank 1 metres wide and 0.4 metres high.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 80, Map 48, Figure 48.1 & 48.1.2 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Wigford Down cairn '5' at SX54706495 of 10.0 metres diameter by 0.5 metres high. Cairn is remarkable for the size of stones in the kerb retaining circle; up to 2.4 metres in length. Four remain in place and a fifth lies almost flat on top of the mound. Breton records that 26 cartloads of stone were removed from this cairn 'some years' before 1931, but this appears to be an error. Interior is flattened with much of the upcast piled outside the circle to the north.

GetMapping, 1999 - 2000, Dartmoor 1999-2000 1:1250 Aerial Photography (digital) (Aerial Photograph). SDV345751.

Cairn is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

The monument includes a ring cairn and a kerbed round cairn situated within the Wigford Down coaxial field system overlooking the Plym and Meavy Valleys.
The ring cairn is the northern of the two and survives as a circular bank measuring up to 3.5m wide and 0.75m high which surrounds a flat interior up to 17.5m in diameter. There is evidence for partial early excavation or robbing on the south west side.
The kerbed cairn survives as an oval mound measuring up to 10m long by 5m wide. The cairn has an interior kerb with a 6.3m diameter composed of at least 5 massive stones up to 2.4m long and 0.9m high, four of which are still standing and the fifth is fallen.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WD-7 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(24/03/2020) Cairn is covered in vegetation growth – grass/moss, bracken and gorse cover wth reedss in central depression. Otherwise condition is moderate.

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

Site recorded during condition visit.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8316 - Wigford Down PAL survey

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