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Summary

The Taw Marsh Reave runs between Steeperton Brook and Ivy Tor Water. The section surveyed in 1993 and 2003 on Metheral Hill, measures 2.2 metres wide and 0.6 metres high.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1015760: A prehistoric settlement complex, length of reave, tin streamwork and stamping mill on the western slopes of Cosdon Hill
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of an extensive area of medieval or later tin working on both sides of the River Taw at Taw Marsh as well as Taw Marsh Bronze Age reave on South Tawton Common

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68NW79
• National Monuments Record: SX69SW168
• National Monuments Record: SX69SW89
• National Monuments Record: SX69SW98
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1223045
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1572718
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 619190
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 967386
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SW/241
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 34438
• Old SAM Ref: 28800

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV221446.

Aph=raf 3g tud uk 138/5439(11/4/1946).

Royal Air Force, 1968, V58/RAF/8510, 10/01/1968, 20-21 (Aerial Photograph). SDV221443.

A reave is visible on aerial images running from SX628919 to SX622895.

National Monument Record, 1979, SF1510, 359-373 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224088.

Reave visible between sx62759172 and sx62409000.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 827 (Monograph). SDV249702.

(Sited to Metheral hill, SX 6289, from Ordnance Survey 10,560 map, 1965) Metheral Hill is crowned by a reave extending from the Steeperton Hill settlement (SX 68 NW 7) to Cosdon. An undisturbed mound on the north side of the hill may be a barrow.

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

[967386 / SX69SW98] (02/08/1993) Approximately 900m of a total 3.2km of well defined stoney reave that runs roughly parallel to and about 900m east of the River Taw. The surveyed length lies in open moorland on the western and northern sides of Metheral Hill and constitutes that part of the feature lying within Dartmoor Forest Parish.
It is first visible at SX 62208932 above the right bank of Steeperton Brook opposite a small settlement (SX 68 NW 7) lying on the eastern flank of Steeperton Tor. From here it runs roughly north-north-east with two distinct kinks in its course to SX 62469008 where it leaves the parish. The reave measures on average 2.2m wide and remains to a maximum height of 0.6m.
This feature does not possess a direct relationship with any other monument of similar antiquity in the surveyed area. However, a seemingly contemporary gap 1.0m wide at SX 62358980 has been produced by the slight skewing of the reave terminals.

Fleming, A., 1988, The Dartmoor Reaves: Investigating Prehistoric Land Divisions, 54; fig 30 (Monograph). SDV229071.

The Taw Marsh Reave starts at Steeperton Brook, and passes just to the west of the Whitehill settlement (SX 69 SW 18), incorporating one of the huts in its line, and extends as far north as the Ivy Tor Water. This stream forms part of its boundary line, before it continues northwards through a cairnfield (SX 69 SE 39) towards Skaigh.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140762 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(1995) from SX62759173 to SX62218926. This length of territorial reave forms the larger part of the Taw Marsh Reave, which is considered to denote the western edge of the prehistoric territory named by Fleming as Cosdon. Within the monument it survives as a linear earthwork measuring on average 3m wide and 0.7m high and leads from SX62759173 to SX62218926. For most of its length it is covered in peat and its stone core is only visible in those places where the peat has been eroded. The reave is cut by the tin streamworks at Ivy Tor Water and those on the small brook. At SX62589077 a hut circle cuts into the reave and nearby at SX62589075 another is attached to it by a short length of boundary bank. Most of the hut circles forming a substantial settlement complex on the lower slopes of Cosdon Hill lie to the east of the reave but there is at least one exception where a nucleation of buildings is centred on SX62289127.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(24/10/2003) The surveyed section of this feature remains as described in 1993.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour aerial photography for Dartmoor (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, [28800] (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

(24/09/1997) A length of the Taw Marsh territorial reave on the western slopes of Cosdon Hill. The reave is considered to represent the western edge of the prehistoric territory known as Cosdon. It survives as a linear earthwork measuring 3 metres wide and 0.7 metres high and leads from SX 62759173 to SX 62218926. For most of its length it is covered in peat and its stone core is only visible in those places where the peat has been eroded. Scheduled.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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