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Summary

A bank defined rectangular enclosure of probable Bronze Age date has been recorded by field and aerial survey on the north-west edge of the summit of Dewerstone Rock. A hut circle is incorporated into the enclosure’s north-west corner. The enclosure is situated within the boundary of an earlier, probably Neolithic enclosure. The enclosure is identifiable as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020241: Prehistoric enclosures on Dewerstone Hill, 500m south east of Dewerstone Cottage
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of prehistoric enclosures and hut circles on Dewerstone Hill, surrounded by 19th century stone working quarries

Other References/Statuses

• National Buildings Record: AF1031756
• National Monuments Record: SX56SW32
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 915508
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SW/11/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 314
• Old SAM Ref: 34436.01

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1900, A Book of Dartmoor, 97, 104, 240 (Monograph). SDV277387.

Worth, R. H., 1943, The Prehistoric Pounds of Dartmoor, 278, 292 figure 4 (Article in Serial). SDV320337.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, 3237-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340833.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RP 3237-3238 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

A bank defined rectangular enclosure is visible.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1952, SX56SW14, SX56SW14 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV251433.

The form of the enclosure suggests a later Bronze Age date.
The enclosure was recorded by Hansford-Worth, and others:
1a VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION NMR record SX 56 SW 14
1b Aerial photograph
Default value used to record large numbers of archive items which are not separately catalogued. See Monument Recording Guidelines for details of use. NLAP RAF/106G/UK/1190 3237-8
1c Devonshire Association reports and transactions 273-301 75 Hansford-Worth RH 'The Prehistoric Pounds of Dartmoor'

National Monuments Record, 1979, SF1520, 146-150 (Aerial Photograph). SDV149521.

National Trust, 1984, Goodameavy, Devon, 8 (Report - Survey). SDV337035.

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

Robinson, R. + Griffith, F. M., 1986, Dewerstone enclosure, Visited 6/5/1986 (Worksheet). SDV251440.

These hut circles were not identified on the ground.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/LR, DCC DAP/LR 14-15 12-MAY-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363498.

A bank defined rectangular enclosure is visible.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152995, 8/1/2001 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Rectangular enclosure on the summit of Dewerstone Hill. Measures 75 metres by 55 metres. Wall 4 metres wide, 1.3 metres high. One linked hut. The wall is lynchetted in places is of rubble character with a large number of protruding orthostats. On the north side the wall is 3.5 metres wide and 0.8 metres high.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 98, Map 48, Figure 48.2 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Small rectangular field below the Dewerstone summit rocks with a hut circle of circa 8.0 metres diameter in the north-west corner with traces of an annex to the east.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1994, The Dewerstone, Meavy, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV359804.

(SX 5383 6393) In November 1994, RCHME carried out an analytical earthwork survey of the two enclosures on Dewerstone Hill, as part of the project to record Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic Period. The inner enclosure, which was previously recorded along with the outer (SX 56 SW 14) (MDV2380), appears to be of a different date and was consequently assigned a new NMR number to enhance the record. The enclosure is earth and stone built, rectangular in form, with dimensions of 85m N-S by 58m E-W, enclosing an area of 0.4 hectares. Its southern end abuts the granite outcrop sometimes called The Dewerstone. The enclosure wall stands 0.5m high on average and has surviving facings of earthfast orthostats in places. There are three possible entrances of which on on the northern side, some 10m from the NE corner appears the most likely to be original.
A hut circle some 8m in diameter with a south-east facing doorway is set into the north-western corner of the enclosure. A sub-rectangular structure, less well-preserved, lies immediately outside the enclosure, connected to the enclosure by a continuation of the northern wall. A number of other hut-circles identified on aerial photographs (1985 APP project) were found not to exist on the ground.

Oswald, A., 1996, Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic (Report - non-specific). SDV345741.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A bank defined rectangular enclosure is identifiable.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, 1020241 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

The prehistoric enclosures on Dewerstone Hill, 500 metres south east of Dewerstone Cottage survive well and will contain information relating to the use of this strategic location throughout later prehistory. The smaller enclosure and associated stone hut circles survive well as examples of those typically found on Dartmoor.
The monument includes two enclosures and associated stone hut circles situated on the summit of a steep sided promontory overlooking the confluence of the rivers Meavy and Plym. The smaller rectangular enclosure lies within the earlier Neolithic one and survives as a 75 metres long by 55 metres wide area denoted by a partly lyncheted rubble bank standing up to 1.3 metres high. The enclosure wall is attached to an earlier stone hut circle which survives as a 0.8 metres high rubble bank surrounding a circular internal area measuring 9.4 metres in diameter. Attached to the eastern side of this hut is a small annex denoted by a 0.8 metres wide and 0.3 metres high earthwork. The second stone hut circle is butted to the inside edge of the Neolithic enclosure and survives as a 5 metres long by 4 metres wide oval shaped area surrounded by rubble. The smaller enclosure and two stone hut circles are considered to be of Bronze Age date.

Environment Agency, 2019, National Lidar Programme, LIDAR SX56SW Environment Agency DTM 25-FEB-2019 (Cartographic). SDV363691.

A bank defined rectangular enclosure is identifiable.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

An earthwork bank circa 4.5 to 6 metres wide is identifiable as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 1946, 1989, and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, on the north-west facing slopes just below the summit of Dewerstone Rock.
The south-west end of the enclosure is not readily identifiable on the sources available to the survey, the enclosure possible elimited by the outcrop or Tor at Dewerstone Rock. The earthworks identifiable on the lidar derived images define the north-east end of a rectilinear enclosure at least 70 metres by 54 metres in size, enclosing an area of at least 2800 square metres or circa 0.28 hectares.
It is possible that the south-west end of the enclosure is demarked by oval mounds centred at circa SX53826388, but these may be natural stone outcroppings.
A hut circle recorded as MDV63617 defines the north-west corner of the enclosure and a second smaller possible hut circle, recorded to the south-east of the visible earthworks as MDV 127388, might have fallen within the original extent of the enclosure.
The possible Bronze Age enclosure is situated within the boundary banks of a large enclosure, possibly a Neolithic Tor enclosure, recorded as MDV2380.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

'Enclosure and Hut Circle' shown on modern mapping. The vague western boundary of the enclosure is indicated.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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