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Summary

One of three hut circles of probable prehistoric date, identified by field and aerial survey on the north-west facing slopes of a spur to the north-west of Trowlesworthy Warren House. The hut circles are associated with an enclosed hut circle settlement immediately to the south. The earthwork is visible on aerial photographs of 1946, digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2007 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020323: Prehistoric and historic archaeological landscape at Trowlesworthy Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE21
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/48/11
• Pastscape

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, SX56SE21, C (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV146590.

Visited 01/06/1950 (SX 5669 6497). Hut circle C, one of a group of eight. Diameter 7.0 metres. Double walled type, wall is 3.0 metres wide and 0.6 metres high. Entrance to south-east is defined by two upright stones.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Western of three hut circles shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Western of three 'Hut Circles' shown on early 20th century map.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 4290-4291 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

A vegetation covered circular bank is visible.

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

Hut circle, one of a group of eight. Double walled type. Entrance to the south east is defined by two upright stones.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140616 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 2nd April 1995. Three hut circles. These survive as banks of earth and stone surrounding a circular internal area and are all of the simple plan and double orthostat walling type. The interior of the western hut measures 6.5 metres in diameter and is defined by a 2.6 metre wide and 0.9 metre high wall. This hut is butted by the orthostatic boundary wall. An outer facing set transversely, in line with an inner orthostat in the south wall may indicate a partly blocked doorway.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 160, Map 51, Figure 51.3 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Shadyback Tor Settlements. To the north of Prehistoric Enclosure A are three inter-connected hut circles with diameters of 4.7 - 6.3 metres which are almost overwhelmed by clearance rubble.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 55, 102 150 a (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Three hut circles arranged in a row along a wall which may represent a remnant of a Prehistoric enclosure wall later used as a field wall.
Hut Circle 'a' at SX56696498 is a large well-preserved massively built sub-circular structure in which much of the inner facing of large orthostats survives within a turf bank. The arc of outer facing stones in the western sector continue south-east into the adjoing wall suggesting it is contempory. An outer facing set transversely in line with an inner orthoststat in the south may indicate an entrance. Hut measures 6.5 metres by 6 metres internally and 11 metres by 10.5 metres externally woth orthostats 0.6 metres high and a bank 0.2 metres high.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360209.

Hut circle clearly visible on Lidar data.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5664 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A circular bank is visible as a spread earthwork.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5664 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A circular stony bank is visible.

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

Hut shown on survey.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Hut circle visible on aerial photograph.

National Monuments Record, 2019, Pastscape, 439166, SX56SE21 (Website). SDV362732.

Three hut circles adjoining a length of contemporary walling some 200 metres north of Trowelsworthy Warren House. All the huts have been terraced into the gently sloping hillside to provide level interiors. The adjoining wall forms part of a large Prehistoric settlement and field system formerly occupying most of the spur running west from Trowelsworthy Warren House. Later stone clearance in the immediate area has resulted in the dumping of large quantities of small surface stone on these features and in the creation of a second bank linking the north sides of these huts.
Hut Circle 'c' at SX 56696498 measures 6.0 metres north to south by 6.4 metres enclosed by walls 1.1 metres wide and 0.7 metres high. Several original internal facing stones are visible and a possible entrance lies in the south-east (citing Probert, S. A. J., 26-FEB-2001 English Heritage Field Investigation).

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 hut circle of probable Bronze Age to Iron Age date is visible on aerial photographs of 1964, digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2007 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017 as a roughly circular bank circa 3m to 6m wide defining a hollow or platform approximately 6m across.
Packed stones are identifiable within the bank material on the 2007 imagery, indicating a possible original wall or bank width of circa 6m.
The hut circle is the westernmost of a row of three associated with, and defining the northern edge of, the banked enclosure MDV127064. No entrance is identifiable from the available sources.
The hut circle has been transcribed as part of enclosure MDV127064.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1020323 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

Within Scheduled area.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7369 - Survey of Granite Loading Bays at Trowlesworthy, Devon
• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• 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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