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Summary

Reave running for 350 metres north to south along the summit ridge of Hingston Hill and petering out to north and south

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1010784: A 350m length of reave on Hingston Hill, 470m NNW of Combshead Tor
• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Raddick Hill to Nun's Cross, including extensive tinning remains at Cramber Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE171
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438983
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/492
• Old SAM Ref: 24082

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX56NE171 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV221183.

(17/04/1979) A reave 320.0m. long runs from SX 58596943 to SX 58656921, traversing the summit of the ridge at 372m. OD and turning halfway in its course from a north/south alignment to a north-west /south-east one. There are no traces of any other reaves running from it. It has a width of up to 2.0m. and a height of 0.5m. At both ends it peters out with no further trace.
Discovered during field investigation.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 147 (Monograph). SDV249702.

A large Bronze Age reave crosses the col.

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

Depicted on map overlay.

Fleming, A., 1988, The Dartmoor Reaves: Investigating Prehistoric Land Divisions, 44 (Monograph). SDV229071.

Disconnected section of Reave just west of the Down Tor stone row and circle. What might have happened between here and the Great Western Reave is unclear. The Great Western Reave itself could easily have continued further north ... It is of course possible that the apparent gaps were filled in by wooden fences, which have left no trace.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP133299, 25/5/1993 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

This 350 metre length of reave traverses the summit of Hingston Hill, from SX5859 6942 to SX5865 6912. Survives as a 2.0 metre wide rubble bank standing up to 0.5 metres high and separates a group of ritual monuments from broadly contemporary settlements and field systems. The northern part of the reave is oriented north-north-east by south-south-west and turns to a north-west by south-east alignment along its southern length. The purpose of this reave appears to have been to denote a boundary between a rich ritual area containing at least three cairns, a stone alignment and associated enclosure from a large enclosed settlement, its fields and upland grazing.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 74, Map 47 (Monograph). SDV137656.

A reave across the summit if Hingston Hill orientated at right angles to the stone row and ending abruptly on the slopes to the north and south. It must have been a boundary work between valley woodland to the north and south. Now spread to 2.5 metres across a few facing slabs remain to show that it had been carefully constructed.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA071 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA071.

Newman, P., 2006, Cramber Tor Training Area Archaeological Field Investigation (Report - Survey). SDV233640.

(01/08/2006) The reave is 368m long and is not straight. It comprises a stony bank including some large pieces of granite, which is spread to over 2m in places. The reave has been damaged by later tinworks in two places.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-DT12 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 12/07/2019. Reave generally grass and heather covered with a few outcrops of gorse mainly on the south part. A gap in the reave at SX 58572 69361 has quad bike tracks running through it and the reave is crossed by paths at SX 58566 39314, SX 58565 69270 and SX 58607 69214. Photos X 2 taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-DT12 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 12/07/2019. Photos X 2 taken 1) A general view looking north north east along the northern part of the reave. 2) A view along the southern part of the reave showing gorse outcrops on the east side of the reave looking south

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

'Boundary Work' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1010784 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes a 350 metres length of reave traversing the summit of Hingston Hill. The reave survives as a 2.0 metres wide rubble bank standing up to 0.5 metres high which separates a group of ritual monuments from broadly contemporary settlements and field systems, most of which are the subject of separate schedulings. The northern part of the reave is orientated north-north-east to south-south-west and turns to a north-west to south-east alignment along its southern length. The purpose of this reave appears to have been to denote a boundary between a rich ritual area containing at least three cairns, a stone alignment and associated enclosure, from a large enclosed settlement, its fields and upland grazing.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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