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Summary

Fragmentary remains of six or seven enclosures lie in unenclosed moorland at the foot of the northern flank of Ter Hill with three or four associated hut circles (see related records).

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Central western section of the Bronze Age Venford Reave at Swincombe, with a number of attached hut circle settlements and enclosures, as well as an extensive Bronze Age field system, a cairn and a post-Medieval blowing house on Down Ridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SW291
• National Monuments Record: SX67SW74
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1050164
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443457
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/332

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6472, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV245616.

Photograph taken on 22nd April 1976.

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

SX 6395 7195 Remains of a field system, containing five hut circles, visible on aerial photograph.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, P. Pattison (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

[443457 / SX67SW74] (08/08/1988) Four hut circles and a field group situated on a moderate slope on the N side of Down Ridge, at SX 63957189, just S of the line of the "Venford Reave" (SX 67 SE 96).
The field group is possibly part of an extensive system (see SX 67 SW 25, 180). It consists of parts of a least 4 fields, irregular in shape, with sinuous boundaries of part vegetation-covered, piled medium-size stones 1-2.5m wide and 0.3-0.6m high. The fields cover at least 4.5ha but are fragmented on the W and may have extended further. At least one boundary was attached to the "Venford Reave" (SX 67 SE 96).
(A) Hut circle SX 64037181. Internal diameter 2.4m defined by a bank of medium size stones, almost vegetation covered, 1-1.7m wide x 0.4m high. A slight break in the E arc may be an entrance. The interior is slightly dished but appears to be cut into the slope. The hut is isolated and is 70m S of the field group.
(B) ?Hut circle SX 63927198. An irregular and lumpy ring of vegetation-covered stone, with only a few, medium-size stones showing, defines an internal area of 2.3m diameter. Wall width is c.1.7m and height 0.5m. A break in the ESE position may be the site of an entrance. This feature is the one recorded previously by source (Grinsell, 1978); it is almost certainly a hut circle.
(C) ?Hut circle SX 63937198. Immediately adjacent to (B); a very low ring of medium-size stones. Internal diameter 2.1m; "walling" 0.7m wide x 0.3m high. It is possibly a small hut circle or ancillary structure to (B).
(D) Hut circle SX 64087195. A hut circle or other shelter of squarish plan, open to the E, with a maximum internal diameter of 3m. Low walls of medium-size, piled stone form an L-shape linking with massive, in situ boulders on the N and E sides. Similar use of large, natural boulders can be seen in several prehistoric structures 550m NW (SX 67 SW 73).
(A) and (B)/(C) are shown on the RCHME APP (1985). Two others shown on the transcription are not visible as surface features. SX 63937199.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 209, Map 62, Figure 62.3 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Group of fields (5) at Deep Swincombe West to the south of the boundary reave which take in part of the adjacent river bank to the east. No large building has been discovered here but long gaps in the surviving walls indicate that much has been either lost or buried. A pair of small huts are to be found near the gateway and a third at a considerable distance uphill.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

[443457 / SX67SW74]
(13/06/1995) Hut circle - see SX 67 SW 291.
[1050164 / SX67SW74]
(13/06/1995) Centred SX 64097193. Three hut circles and the fragmentary remains of six or seven enclosures lie in unenclosed moorland at the foot of the N flank of Ter Hill. The huts (see related records) are small with internal diameters in the region of 2.5m and all possess entrances in the E or SE quadrants. The associated irregular enclosures are formed by stoney banks up to 1.3m wide and 0.5m high which have been robbed in varying degrees to provide wall stone. Antiquity Model surveyed at 1:2500.

ADAS, 1995, Field system (Worksheet). SDV243018.

Record sheet of 28th February 1995.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

Fragments of field boundaries shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8146 - Royal Commission Survey at Down Ridge and Swincombe
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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