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Summary

The remains of three adjoining enclosures and a single infilled hut circle lie in open moorland above the right bank of Spanish Lake.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018356: Stone hut circle settlement 600m ENE of Great Trowlesworthy Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE105
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439402
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/327
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24119
• Old SAM Ref: 10645( 24119(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE105 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV143570.

(21/06/1977) At SX 58496452 is a small circular enclosure with a hut built onto its north wall, and on a west facing slope at 355.0m. O.D. The enclosure has a 16.0m. internal diameter with walling 1.1m. wide and 0.5m. high. Its poor condition makes the identification of entrances difficult, though they are possibly to the north and south. The hut is of Type 1 (Type site: SX 56 SE 19) with rubble walls 2.0m. thick and 0.7m. high and an internal diameter of 5.0m. There is a possible entrance on the south side.
Surveyed 1:10 000 on P.F.D.

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

An enclosure is shown but not described at SX58516452 by the Project.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133401, 18/5/1994 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(SX5849 6452) Agglomerate enclosure containing one stone hut circle forms the southern part of a large stone hut circle settlement, lying on a gentle west facing slope overlooking the valley of Spanish Lake.
Agglomerate enclosure includes three elements and covers 0.13 hectares. The northern enclosure is the earliest, measures 20 metres in diameter and is defined by a 1.5 metre wide and 0.5 metre high rubble bank. A hut circle which survives as a 2 metre wide and 0.6 metre high circular bank of stone and earth surrounding an internal area measuring 2 metres in diameter is linked to the east wall of this enclosure.
The relative dates of the remaining two enclosures could not be established from the earthwork evidence alone. The interior of the southern enclosure measures 28 metres by 26 metres and is defined by a low, partly lynchetted rubble bank measuring 1.8 metres wide and 0.3 metres high. The eastern enclosure lies immediately next to the northern example, measures 15 metres east-west by 10 metres north-south and is defined by a curving 1.2 metre wide rubble bank standing up to 0.3 metres high.

Robertson, J. G., 1991, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV166324.

Two enclosures and three hut circles depicted and described by Robertson.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 162-3, Map 51, Figure 51.6 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Small enclosure at Settlement 'B' at Upper Sapnish Lake with one hut circle on the eastern perimeter which has been filled with stones giving it the appearance of a cairn. A curving wall is shown to the east of the enclosure.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

(23/04/2002) Centred SX 58506451. The remains of three enclosures and a single infilled hut circle lie in open moorland above the right bank of Spanish Lake.
The most complete enclosure measure 18 metres north to south by 20 metres and is bounded by a turf covered stony bank around 1.3 metres wide and 0.4 metres high. The east side of this feature incorporates a hut circle, 5.8 metres in overall diameter and 0.7 metres high. The latter has been used as a repository for cleared surface stone and now resembles a cairn. Adjoining the east and south sides of the main enclosure are the incomplete remains of two more former fields measuring 14 metres by 16 metres and 32 metres by 23 metres respectively.
There is no ground evidence to suggest the presence of the additional huts recorded by Robertson (1991).

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

Northern part of the enclosure and parts of the eastern and southern enclosures visible on the aerial photography. Remains to the south less clear.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

The northern part of the enclosure and hut circle are depicted on the modern mapping, although the enclosure is rather smaller than the true size as seen on the aerial photography.

English Heritage, 2015, National Heritage List for England, 1018356 (National Heritage List for England). SDV357602.

This monument includes two agglomerate enclosures and a cluster of stone hut circles lying on a gentle west facing slope of Lee Moor overlooking the valley of Spanish Lake.
The second agglomerate enclosure forms the southern edge of the settlement and includes three elements covering 0.13ha. The northern enclosure is the earliest, measures 20m in diameter and is defined by a 1.5m wide and 0.5m high rubble bank. A stone hut circle which survives as a 2m wide and 0.6m high bank of stone and earth surrounding a circular internal area measuring 2m in diameter is linked to the eastern wall of this enclosure. The relative dates of the remaining two enclosures could not be established from the earthwork evidence alone. The interior of the southern enclosure measures 28m long by 26m wide and is defined by a low, partly lynchetted rubble bank measuring 1.8m wide and 0.3m high.
The eastern enclosure lies immediately next to the northern example, measures 15m long east to west by 10m wide north to south and is defined by a curving 1.2m wide rubble bank standing up to 0.3m high.
Scheduling amended 2001.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UP-HT9 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(16/03/2020) condition assessed as good; some vegetation encroachment affecting site.

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

Images taken during 2020 site visit.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape

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