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Summary

A ruined rectangular stone building located within vestiges of an enclosure, which has been mostly effaced by later tinworking. The area is densely covered and obscured by bracken, which has caused much variation in previous descriptions, and debris from an adjacent leat cut through in the 19th century has caused disturbance. The ruined building is an approximate rectangle with stone-built foundations and visible corners. It measures approximately 10m by 4.6m and has two possible, heavily covered, internal partitions. Foundations of a possible lean-to structure are attached to the southern end. The enclosure walls extend from the NNW and SSE corners of the structure, both curving west to create an enclosed space of 47m by 18m, terminating at the edge of the tinwork which has effaced the rest of the enclosure. The enclosure comprises a stony bank and may have prehistoric origins, but the building is medieval in character.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019876: Prehistoric settlement, three round cairns and a post-medieval rabbit warren at Legis Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE154
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438932
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/487
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 22289
• Old SAM Ref: 10825

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• BUILDING (Built, Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Haynes, R. G., 1978, Typescript notes and plans (Un-published). SDV285917.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX56NE154, SX56NE154 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV220930.

(13/02/1979) On a river cliff on the east side of Legis Lake is a semi-oval enclosure 45.0m by 22.0m with walling 1.0m thick and 0.8m high. No original entrance is visible Attached to the inner side of the east wall are three semi-rectangular yards each measuring about 10.0m by 4.0m; they are marked by lines of stones and have no obvious entrances. The hut shown by (Haynes) at SX 5677 6531 appears to be a modern shelter, 1.5m in diameter internally, attached to the
outer walling of the enclosure which appears to be prehistoric with later repairs and additions.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on P.F.D.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130880 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

22/02/1993 Small semi-oval enclosure with attached stone structures forming part of an extensive Prehistoric settlement. Measures internally 45m north-south by 22m east-west and is defined by a rubble wall 1m wide and up to 0.8m high on three sides with the fourth being denoted by a river scarp.
Three D-shaped stone structures are attached to the inner face of the eastern boundary wall. The northern structure measures 4m by 3m and is defined by a 1m wide and 0.4m high rubble wall. The central structure measures 9.7m by 4.6m and is defined by an orthostatic wall 1m wide and 0.9m high. The southern structure measures 11m by 4m and is surrounded by a 1.2m wide and 0.5m high rubble wall. The final structure is a small triangular shaped building attached to the outer face of the southern boundary wall. The interior of this building measures 5m by 3m and a gap in the north-east wall may represent a doorway. This structure is probably of post-Medieval date, and is similar in character to some tinners' buildings in Devon and Cornwall.
The structures within this enclosure are very different in character to the huts found within other enclosures at Legis Tor and they may therefore not represent Bronze Age habitations. It seems equally possible that they are either of Neolithic or Medieval date, and only excavation will determine their true character and period. The relationship between the field system [AI: 130879] and this enclosure suggests that they are broadly contemporary and given the relatively early date for these fields, a Neolithic or early Bronze Age date for the enclosure itself is not impossible.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 111, Map 49, Figure 49.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Enclosure indicated to the north-west of the 'Legis Tor enclosures'. This enclosure 'E' based on legis lake could be consided as part of the settlement but very little of it remains . Streamworks here are 100 metres wide and only the upper border together with traces of interior buildings survive around the lip of the excavations.

Probert, S., 2005, Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV363484.

(18/02/2005) This feature remains as described by the Ordnance Survey in 1979. The internal features do not appear to be original elements of this site and may be related to the areas use as a warren. The remains have been further complicated by the construction of a leat along the outside of the enclosure wall that has resulted in debris being dumped within the enclosure.

Probert, S. A. J., 2010, A Condition Survey of the Archaeological Sites of Ringmoor, Dartmoor Training Area (Report - Survey). SDV360517.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Ringmoor Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361636.

Enclosure with later structures along the eastern wall shown on the GIS survey layer.

Newman, P., 2022, Ringmoor Down Premier Archaeological Landscape Dartmoor National Park, Devon. A new survey, Table 1 (Report - Survey). SDV365490.

Ruined building and part of an enclosure on east side of Legis Lake tin works SX 56775 65349. A ruined rectangular stone building located within vestiges of an enclosure, which has been mostly effaced by later tinworking. The area is densely covered and obscured by bracken, which has caused much variation in previous descriptions, and debris from an adjacent leat cut through in the 19th century has caused disturbance. The ruined building is an approximate rectangle with stone-built foundations and visible corners. It measures approximately 10m by 4.6m and has two possible, heavily covered, internal partitions. Foundations of a possible lean-to structure are attached to the southern end. The enclosure walls extend from the NNW and SSE corners of the structure, both curving west to create an enclosed space of 47m by 18m, terminating at the edge of the tinwork which has effaced the rest of the enclosure. The enclosure comprises a stony bank and may have prehistoric origins, but the building is medieval in character.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7443 - Condition survey of archaeological sites in Ringmoor Training Area
• EDV7569 - Condition survey of Ringmoor Down training area
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8917 - Survey of the archaeological features on Ringmoor Down

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