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Summary

Bronze Age hut circle settlement north of Blatchford Bottom including at least three enclosures and five hut circles

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of prehistoric hut circle settlements at Blatchford Bottom, as well as extensive area of medieval or later tin streamworks along the Bledge Brook and the River Erme

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/189
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6364, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV155390.

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

Agglomerated enclosure with two surviving elements and fragments of another. Contains five hut circles. Covers 0.3 hectares in area.

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

Agglomerated enclosure with two surviving elements and fragments of another. Contains five hut circles and covers 0.3 hectares.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 56-7, Map 54, Figure 54.16 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Southern prehistoric settlement at Blatchford Bottom 1 including several enclosures and five hut circles.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Settlement shown on modern mapping.

Newman, P., 2018, Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV361913.

Feature shown with several enclosures and five hut circles.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1, Figure 7 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

A hut settlement with enclosures, north of Blatchford Bottom on the western slope of the River Erme. Two attached enclosures survive as complete circuits, totalling 0.24 hectares. They were once augmented by one or possibly two enclosures to the south, of which only fragments survive above ground. The walls are now very spread and turf-covered, though some stones survive in situ, representing fragments of the wall faces. Four poorly defined hut circles survive. All have tumbled and spread walls and are incorporated into the eastern enclosure wall, running approximately north to south. The best preserved of these is located at SX 63419 63941, which has stony traces of the inner wall face providing an internal diameter of 7.7m. Fallen stones representing a possible entrance survive on the south side. The other three huts (SX 63421 63966; SX 63439 63985; SX 63447 63994) have less well defined interiors though entrances are visible on two. At the southern limit of the site, the eastern arc of a fifth hut survives, but is becoming overwhelmed by rushes. A possible sixth hut at SX 63440 63975, survives as a circle of standing and fallen stones with no bank surviving.

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

(21/07/2019) Settlement lies close to the junction of the Bledge Brook with the Erme. The grass around this monument has become more established in recent years although the better drainage afforded by the stony banks of the settlement encourages a finer quality grass and it remains easily possible to trace the outline of the monument on the ground.

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

Photographed 21/07/2019.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley

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