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Summary

Eleven hut circles lie on a slight south-west slope of open moorland north of Butter Brook Ford. The huts are generally sub-circular, with level interiors, from 3.75 metres to 7.5 metres in diameter. The double-faced orthostatic walling averages 1.6 metres high with entrances, where visible, mainly to the south-east. The huts are mostly in good condition, although one has been completely stripped out. There are also isolated upright stones suggesting other former huts in this area.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1013210: Unenclosed stone hut circle settlement west of Butter Brook Reservoir

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX65NW2
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441259
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NW/14
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NW/17
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NW/35
• Old SAM Ref: 10532

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Hut Circles' shown on 19th century map.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 412 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs, 53/94 (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Photograph taken in December 1945.

Grinsell, L. V., 1953, The Ancient Burial-Mounds of England, 118 (Monograph). SDV223394.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6459, 1/226-228 (Aerial Photograph). SDV168294.

Hankin, C. F., 1977-1980, Harford Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV149931.

Butterbrook, Harford Moor. On the open moor close to the perimeter wall at Butterbrook, on the right bank (north side) by the stream. The ground near the stream has been very much disturbed by early tinners and by the building of Butterbrook Reservoir in 1914. A group of nine hut circles, others may have been lost. A complete circle of stones remains in several huts and at least three show fine examples of thick double walls. South entrances marked by large standing stones. Largest internal diameter 8.5 metres. Two huts have diameter 6.1 metres and this is probably the approximate diameter of the more fragmentary circles. One circle with diameter 6.1 metres is contiguous with another on its south side, this other with diameter 3.6 metres. Three huts have been robbed of most of their stones and the style of their construction cannot be seen.

Allden, A., 1979, Harford Hut Circles (Report - non-specific). SDV148615.

Site visited on 12th June 1979. Visit at request of Dartmoor National Park Authority, and report prepared for Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology. Fence was erected in winter of 1977/78. Four hut circles within fence. Six on moorland outside fence to west. Report puts forward various recommendations the main one being that the site should be conserved in toto.

Timms, S. C., 1979, Hut circles of Harford Moor (Worksheet). SDV148614.

Site visited on 22nd May 1979. The hut circles to the west of the reservoir plantation have been badly poached by animals. A fence has been erected by Dartmoor National Park Authority around the four hut circles nearest the plantation but this has served only to spread the damage over the other unfenced hut circles. There are a further four hut circles within the reservoir fence. These are covered by the reservoir plantation. Fence was subsequently removed. Hankin records nine hut circles on moorland, Allden records ten on moorland, Timms records four more in plantation. The group totals fourteen hut circles in all.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1982, SX65NW2, SX65NW2 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV148609.

(12/10/1982) Eleven hut circles lie on a slight south-west slope of open moorland at about 261 metres OD. The huts are generally sub-circular, with level interiors, from 3.75 metres to 7.5 metres in diameter. The double-faced orthostatic walling averages 1.6 metres high with entrances, where visible, mainly to the south-east. The huts are mostly in good condition, although one at SX64455932 has been completely stripped out. There are also isolated upright stones suggesting other former huts in this area.
(24/03/1950 Visit detail: Hut circles near Harford Moor. A group of hut circles of double walled type, the majority of which have clearly defined entrances, all facing south-east).

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

Seven hut circles visible on 1976 aerial photograph with a possible eighth attached to a possible ninth. A possible tenth inside the boundaries of Butterbrook Reservoir.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1987, List of donations to the Plymouth Museum (Un-published). SDV243606.

14/7/1977 - Clay pipe bowl and stem found among hut circles.
14/7/1977 - Flint flake found in disturbed ground among prehistoric hut group.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 19, Map 53, Figure 53.2 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Huts '2' to '11' shown at Butter Brook Ford to the north-west of the 'plantation'.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DTM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360208.

Hut circles visible on Lidar data.

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

'Hut Circles' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2020, National Heritage List for England, 1013210 (National Heritage List for England). SDV363414.

Unenclosed settlement of 9 hut circles from 10 metres-13 metres diameter with walls up to 2 metres thick and 1 metre high, faced with upright stones on both sides. They have entrances, usually framed by distinct orthostatic jambs, facing south-east. Some hut circles are set into the slope, and one has been damaged by the track which runs to the reservoir. A nearby group of huts lying within the reservoir plantation was largely destroyed by construction work in 1914; these may have all formed a single group originally.

Riley, H., 2021, Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Landscape, Harford and Ugborough, 13, Figure 21 (Report - Survey). SDV364697.

Hut circles by the Butter Brook are closely grouped together and show details of their construction with walls faced with upright stones and entrances often marked by larger stones.

Riley, H., 2021, UG21 heritage asset database and gazetteer of sites (Report - Survey). SDV364699.

Site visited on 30th April 2021, surveyed and photographed. Group of 12 hut circles on north side of the Butter Brook. On open moorland and plantation. Path and reservoir access track cut through site.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV1678 - FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Neolithic - 698000 BC to 2201 BC)
• FDV4003 - FLAKE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• FDV4004 - CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV8770 - Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Lanscape, Harford and Ugborough

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