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Summary

A small crudely-built stone-roofed structure, described previously as a possible beehive hut or tinner's cache. Survey in 1995 (revisited 2003) suggested this more likely to be a shelter.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1063438
• National Record of the Historic Environment: SX58SE36
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SE/70
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SE/72
• Old SAM Ref: 20354(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) BEEHIVE_HUT? (Constructed, Unknown date)
• SHELTER (Constructed, Unknown date)
• (Former Type) TINNERS CACHE? (Constructed, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Anderson, I. K., 1906, 11th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 110 (Article in Serial). SDV337055.

Greeves, T., 1985, Beehive hut at Watern Oke settlement (Worksheet). SDV246474.

Visited on 6th September 1985. At SX 5658 8337 a beehive hut with corbelled dripstone roof constructed in base of clitter at its east end. It is well preserved, apparently lacking only a single stone in its roof. Measures approximaately 2 metres by 2 metres by 1.5 metres high externally and internally 1 metre by 0.5 metres by 1 metres high.
Visited on 6th Setember 1985. At SX 5658 8337 a rectangular building in clitter at Watern Oke. Internal measurements 2 metres by 1.5 metres. Near to beehive hut.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 123787 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(1992) Tinners' cache. Small cache situated immediately next to an area of clitter on a facing slope. The building is terraced into the hillslope and consists of a rectangular single roomed structure with corbelled walls and a stone lintel roof. The interior measures 1.2 metres by 0.9 metres and the wall stands up to 1.3 metres high. The doorway faces south. Not large enough to have provided shelter and therefore seems more likely to be a storage building or cache. Not excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 101-102, Map 32, Figure 32.4 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Feature '10' on the eastern edge of the 'clitter' at 'Watern Oke West settlement' described as a 'sentry box'. A drystone walled cache over a metre high and roofed with a large flat slab. It was left by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee 'to the inquisitive destruction of the coming archaeologist'.

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

(16/08/1995) SX 565583?84. [SX 56558338] A small, crudely built shelter lies at the foot of a clitter slope above the right bank of the River Tavy, approximately 100 metres downstream from the confluence with Western Red Lake. The interior is roughly rectangular and measures 1.7 metres north to south by 1.8 metres, with coursed and corbelled boulder walls and roof attaining a maximum height of 1.2 metres. An entrance gap lies on the south side.
The 'beehive' nature of this structure owes its existence to the slabby granite of the immediate area rather than to a particular architectural style. Its use as a tinners' cache as suggested by Gerrard (Devon SMR SX 58 SE 72) is somewhat doubtful because of its prominent position on the hillside and ease of accessibility. It was noted in 1906 by Anderson who offered no explanation preferring to leave the discussion to the 'ingenious speculations of future visitors' (Anderson 1906, 110).
The structure noted by Greeves on Devon SMR No SX 58 SE 72 is a mutilated hut circle, part of the Watern Oke settlement (NMR No SX 58 SE 9). The description of this and the 'beehive' hut appear to have been confused.

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

(21/08/2003) This feature remains as described in 1995.

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

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