See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Reave with long drain beside it. Middle section covered with waste. One of the parallel reaves of the Shaugh Moor system, running from the Saddlesborough main reave. Radiocarbon dated in 1980 to 1560 BC (+/-80 years).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE156
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 910509
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/116

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• REAVE (Constructed, To 1650 BC (Between) and From 1450 BC (Between)) + Sci.Date

Full description

Fleming, A., 1978, The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor. Part 1: South Dartmoor, 97-123 (Article in Serial). SDV235265.

Reave with long drain beside it. Middle section covered with waste. One of the parallel reaves of the Shaugh Moor system, running from the Saddlesborough Main Reave.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980?, SX56SE136 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV146742.

(Visited 1980s?) Collis (1978) suggests (1983) that the double bank between SX 55676214 and SX 55756225 is a two phase reave construction. The remains are now only 140m long, partly obliterated by waste tip and clitter. Western bank forms a boundary to field system (SX56SE-109) and at two points has been consolidated into a distinct wall. No real evidence of clearance.

Smith, K., 1981, Interim Report (Report - Interim). SDV153133.

Wotter reave and the remains of a series of discontinuous irregular field walls are situated on Wotter Common (SX 558622). A number of excavation trenches were dug in 1979/80 to investigate the features in advance of China Clay working.
The reave which runs north-eastwards from Collard Tor was investigated in three places and also a series of trenches were cut to the east (trenches CD, G, FR, S, T). A Bronze Age house, later modified into a Medieval building, with the associated boundaries were found.
The Wotter Reave is the most south-easterly reave of the Saddlesborough parallel system. It is unique among the Shaugh Moor reaves in being a double bank for most of its length. Four areas were excavated in 1980 and showed it to be of two phases:
Phase I. At its northern end, the Wotter reave respects the bank and ditch of the Saddlesborough main reave (SX 56 SE 78) indicating that it was built after the main reave was constructed and at this end, it comprised a bank and ditch. The presence of a post-hole in the northern side of the main reave ditch opposite the Wotter reave terminus suggests that the gap could be closed by a gate. At the southern end, the reave bank was ditchless.
Phase II. This comprised a stone wall overlying the Phase I bank, and at the southern end, additional external stone wall separated from the reave by an area cleared of stone. This apparently, was cleared to provide material for the reave, the 'waste' being discarded to create the second bank. At its northern end, the reave was extended across the main reave ditch to bond or butt with the Phase II main reave. The exact relationship between the Wotter reave and Hawks' Tor field system (SX 56 SE 136), could not be established directly. The reave overlies an earlier field system, (SX 56 SE 157).

Timms, S., 1981, Site visit note (Personal Comment). SDV146739.

(04/09/1981) Site visited by D. Griffith and S. Timms. The Department of Environment excavations may have been in part outside area affected by tip which is still in process of forming.

Smith, K. + Coppen, J. + Wainwright, G. J. + Beckett, S., 1981, The Shaugh Moor Project; Third Report - Settlement and Environmental Investigations, 205-274 (Article in Serial). SDV173752.

Wotter Common reave. For most of its length a double banked boundary. Excavated 1979-1980. Found to be of two main phases. Phase one: simple bank and ditch overlay old land surface. Radiocarbon date 1560+/-80 BC (radiocarbon years). Phase two: stone wall overlay bank where present consisting of two facing walls with a dump core. Also land clearance piles of stones.

Collis, J., 1983, Field Systems and Boundaries on Shaugh Moor and at Wotter, Dartmoor, 55 60 figs 1 2 4 (Article in Serial). SDV144058.

Runs SX 55696218 - SX 55986248, but presumably continued to c. SX 563629. Shaugh Moor reave 8 runs from Collard Tor to join Saddlesborough main reave (sx56se-115) just west of China clay quarry. Almost totally destroyed by quarrying and dumping. The junction has been destroyed but the reave here is 1.0m thick and 0.2 - 0.3m high. At the south end two banks run up to Collard Tor. Northernmost of these is the reave proper, the southern is similar but nearer the tor is made of boulders. The two do not form a track. Probably mark two different phases. The northernmost has been reconstructed to a height of c 1.0m in places, marking a post-medieval boundary.

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

Visible and recorded.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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