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Summary

A well-preserved Bronze Age enclosure with two internal hut circles on Shaugh Moor, within a small field system and a wider reave system. This settlement probably predates the reave system but continued in use during the reave phase. The enclosure is visible as earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1946, visualisations derived from low resolution lidar data captured in 2013 and digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2016.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002516: Pound and hut circles N of Hawk's Tor
• SHINE: Bronze age landscapes on Shaugh Moor and Wooter Moor comprising earthworks and walling of enclosures, hut circles, cairns, stone circles and rows, reaves and field systems, and medieval and post medieval field systems

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE52
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439256
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/35
• Old SAM County Ref: 422

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RP 3257-3258 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Curvilinear banks are visible as earthworks.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2299-2300 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/58/6399, RAF/58/6399 F64 0380-0382 02-JUL- (Aerial Photograph). SDV363068.

Curvilinear banks are visible as earthworks.

Price, D. G., 1973, Ancient fields on Shaugh Moor, 91 (Article in Serial). SDV147593.

Shaugh Moor; extensive enclosure placed round the large pound containing two circles in the middle of the moor. Leading away to the north-east from this enclosure and running parallel with a footpath is another boundary, not part of a recognisable field.

Cambridge University Collection, 1973, CUC/BON, CUC/BON 30 (Aerial Photograph). SDV149515.

National Monuments Record, 1977, NMR SX5562, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV152746.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX56SE52 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV138636.

(29/09/1980) On the west slope of Shaugh Moor is a pound-like enclosure of 0.34 hectares, containing two hut circles.
The enclosure measures 61.4 metres by 56.5 metres with a vertical inner face of orthostatic blocks 0.9 metres high, backed by an earthen bank giving an overall width at the base of 4.0 metres. Of the three gaps in the west side it is not possible to say which is the original entrance. The two Type 2 huts have level interiors with diameters of 8.7 metres and 6.3 metres and walling 1.1 metres thick and 0.5 metres high. They are much robbed and their entrances are uncertain.
The enclosure appears to pre-date the parallel reave system one reave corner of the enclosure but starts again at the south-west corner on a different alignment. Price's outer 'enclosure' is three sides of a field, an extension to the south-east from a point on the reave at SX 5536 6284 which after 105 metres turns to the south-west for a further 120 metres. The walling averages 1.5 metres wide and 0.7 metres high and is quite unlike reave walling in that the construction is of massive boulders similar to the enclosure. The walling fades at the south-west end into a low bank, more in the character of a reave, and is then lost in the heather. Other details: Plan.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV345608.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visit 21st April 1982.

Collis, J., 1983, Field Systems and Boundaries on Shaugh Moor and at Wotter, Dartmoor, 58-60 (Article in Serial). SDV144058.

Enclosure C. Unusual for Dartmoor; consisting of an internal revetment wall of slabs up to 1.5 metres, with an earth and stone bank on outside. It is possible that the revetment is a later (perhaps medieval) feature. Entrance on the south-west side. Flanked by Shaugh Moor Reave 1. There are two hut circles within the enclosure. Part of earliest phase of activity on Shaugh Moor, predating the reave system but still in use in the reave phase. Other details: Figures 1, 7, 9.

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

Sub-circular enclosure visible incorporated into a parallel reave system. It contains two hut circles.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 102-103, Map 48, Figure 48.4 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Enclosure 'A' within Shaugh Moor field system is well-preserved with two internal hut circles of 6.0 metres and 8.0 metres diameter.

National Monuments Record, 1998, NMR 18051, NMR 18051/17 19-MAY-1998 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363403.

Curvilinear banks are visible as stone set earthworks.

Fletcher, M. + Probert, S., 1998, Shaugh Moor, Devon: An Archaeological Survey (Report - Survey). SDV343481.

(01/12/1997) SX 5530 6283. A very fine enclosure build on a west-facing slope incorporated the remains of two hut circles and traces of the reave it overlies. The substantial bank is faced on the inner side by upright slabs and boulders which are between 0.8 metres and 1.1 metres high. This facing retains a turf-covered boulder/stone bank which is spread to 5.3 metres wide and has a fairly gentle outer slope, although an outer face is indicated in places by boulders which protrude through the turf suggesting a former wall some 2.0 metres wide.
The position of the entrances is not obvious however two transverse slabs approximately 1.5 metres apart located in the western extremity may indicate a blocked entrance. Recent breaks in the enclosure bank occur in the north and in the south-east quadrants. The enclosure, which was refashioned probably as a medieval pound, lies within a well-defined parallel reave system.
SX5529 6284. A hut circle located within the enclosure is 10.5 metres in overall diameter with a 7.2 meter diameter level interior and a 0.6 metres high back scarp. Its walling which has been damaged especially in the south-west quadrant survives as a 0.5 meter high stone and boulder core with some large inner and outer facing slabs/boulders in situ. The entrance is located in the south-west side.
SX5530 6283. A hut stance situated within the enclosure measures overall 8.0 metres (north-south) by 9.0 metres with a level interior, a 0.5 meter high back scarp. The surviving turf-covered walling of stones and boulders is 0.4 metres high. The position of the entrance is not clear.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5562 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

Curvilinear banks are visible as stone set earthworks.

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

Map object based on this Source.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5563 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

Curvilinear banks are identifiable as earthworks.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, SM12 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 03/08/2019. Site stable with only light livestock grazing and few walkers, there are a small number of animal erosion scars and scrapes on the inside face of the north east pound wall. Vegetation score low as large site. However hut circle is 75% covered with bracken as is the pound boundary wall. Reave shown on map below hut circles within pound not visible in landscape at time of survey, possibly due to vegetation growth. All other reaves distinguishable.
There are three antiquities stars sited around the outside of the pound wall. One on the north side, one on south side and one west. Photos taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, SM12 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 03/08/2019. Photos X 4 taken
1)North east section of pound wall looking north east
2)South section pf pound wall looking north
3)North west hut overall view looking north east
4) South east hut stance view looking south east

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.

A bank 4m to 5m wide is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, enclosing a sub-square or pentagonal area approximately 57.5 by 60.3 m in size, on the gentle west-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor.
Stone settings are visible are visible on the inner face of the bank, particularly on the eastern half on the enclosure. On the southern and western half of the enclosure, stones are identifiable set within or towards the outher face of the bank. This might support the interpretation that the enclosure boundary comprised two rows of stones infilled with bank material, which has subsequently spread.
The enclosure is interpreted as probably of Bronze Age date.
Two circular hollows or platforms, probably hut circles contemporary with the enclosure, are visible within the enclosure and area recorded separately (MDV48895 and MDV2448).
The enclosure is situated amongst a possibley contemporary field system, including an annexe to the east. This is in turn within a wider parallel reave enclosure or field system (see MDV2590 and 2447). The relationship between the enclosure and reave system is unclear from the sources available to the survey. However, no trace of the reave system is identifiable continuing through the enclosure on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 and it might be expected that some trace would survive if the enclosure post-dated the reaves.

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

'Enclosure and Hut Circles' shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4967 - Shaugh Moor Survey (1997-1998)
• 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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