See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A sub-circular enclosure containing a single hut circle and an amorphous mound on the gently sloping west flank of Little Trowlesworthy Tor. An additional hut and traces of a second enclosure lie to the east and north-east. Referred to by Butler as enclosure H.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE16
• National Monuments Record: SX56SE228
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1360452
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439151
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/51
• Old SAM County Ref: 280
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24232(P)
• Old SAM Ref: 10821

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Enclosure shown on 19th century map.

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

Enclosure shown on early 20th century map.

Curwen, E. C., 1927, Prehistoric Agriculture in Britain, 277 (Article in Serial). SDV173835.

Possibly one of eight enclosures giving evidence of the earliest agriculture on Dartmoor.

Curwen, E. C., 1943, The Efficiency of a Flint Sickle, 46 (Article in Serial). SDV147035.

Curwen discusses the time taken to reap grain on plots of this size.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX5764, SX5764, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV138979.

Photograph taken on 8th April 1976.

Price, D. G., 1977, Settlement at Trowlesworthy Warren, 44, Figure 1 (Article in Serial). SDV150433.

Site visited on 1st June 1950. Enclosure with hut circles. One internal hut circle 8 metres in diameter and a hut circle with part of an enclosure wall nearby. Clear interior apart from some large slabs. Some orthostats.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE228 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV138626.

(22/05/1977) SX 57186441. An ovoid enclosure, average diameter 40m., and 0.1ha., is constructed of orthostatic walling, 2.0m. wide and 0.8m. high. It contains a type 1 hut, set into the slope, the entrance facing south-east, and a 'D' - shaped platform, 7.0m. by 2.5m., which has been set against the north wall.

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

Enclosure visible and recorded.

Mercer, R. J., 1987, An Archaeological Field Survey of the Upper Plym Valley, Dartmoor 1982-1986, 23 (Report - Survey). SDV165948.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140671 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 9th April 1995. Simple enclosure at SX57186441 within an historic field system. Survives as a 41 metre by 40.3 metre circular shaped area surrounded by a 2.2 metre wide and 0.4 metre high orthostatic wall with rubble infill. At least two hut circles are visible within the enclosure and both are attached to its inner face. An historic field boundary partly overlies the north circuit of the enclosure walling.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 158,
ap 51, Figure 51.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Prehistoric Enclosure (H) within Trowlesworthy Warren was originally a double pound which has the slight remains of a hut circle on the perimeter and another just outside. A pile of stones is shown on Figure 51.1 in the southern part of the enclosure which may have been a clearance cairn.

Robertson, J. G., 1994, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym Valley (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV139549.

Enclosure and hut circle depicted and described by Robertson.

National Trust and English Heritage, 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape, 9, 102 023 (Report - non-specific). SDV166309.

Circular area enclosed by stone wall. Eastern sector constructed of massive boulders and mound of small stones. A later wall utilises north-west sector and a drain cuts through enclosure from south-east to north-west. To the west of the drain is a pile of stones, 4.90 metres by 4.20 metres of indistinct form, containing three uprights, which may be the remains of a hut circle. Dimensions of area enclosed are 41 metres by 40.30 metres with a wall: 2.20 metres wide and 0.20 metres high in east sector and 0.40 metres high in the northern sector.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

(23/05/2002) SX 5718 6441 A sub-circular enclosure containing a single hut circle and an amorphous mound on the gently sloping west flank of Little Trowlesworthy Tor. An additional hut and traces of a second enclosure lie to the east and north-east.
The enclosure is 40 metres in diameter and is bounded by robbed stony banks around 1.2 - 1.6 metres wide and 0.4 metres high. The north side has been truncated by a medieval or later field boundary and there are no obvious entrances. There are two associated hut circles and both have been terraced into the slope to provide level interiors and both have suffered from stone removal in later periods. The internal hut at SX 5720 6441 is in poor condition and approximately 4.5 metres in diameter. The external hut circle at SX 5722 6442 measures 5.7 metres north to south by 5.0 metres internally with walls 1.2 metres wide and 0.3 metres high.
Immediately to the north of this hut is a curving stony bank (MDV56758) probably forming part of a contemporary enclosure.

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

Enclosure visible on aerial photograph.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UPTR-32 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(20/07/2020) Condition of site assessed as good. Enclosure MDV2475 is almost entirely clear of bracken, the area surrounding the site has a dense bracken cover. There are a few random clumps of reeds within the enclosure with a more distinct broken line of reeds along the gully dissecting site. Area is grazed by sheep, no damage found.

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

Images taken during July 2020 site visit.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Enclosure shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2019, National Heritage List for England, 1019084 (National Heritage List for England). SDV362730.

Subcircular enclosure of 40 metres diameter, defined by a bank of stone 2 metres wide, including boulders a metre or more in height. The single hut circle attached to the south-east bank is 7 metres in diameter with walls one metre thick and 0.4 metres high. The north-west bank of the enclosure has been incorporated into a later intake wall.

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)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.