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Summary

Long cairn on east slopes of Butterdon Hill, 165 metres west of Lud Brook. The feature consists of a long, stony mound with a broadly trapezoidal shape measuring approximately 23 metres long and approximately 1.0 metre high with its axis aligned north-south. At its northern end it is around 13 metres wide and tapers to around 5.0 metres in the south.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012247: Long cairn east of Butterdon Hill

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX65NE4
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441109
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NE/2
• Old SAM County Ref: 308
• Old SAM Ref: 10547

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHAMBERED TOMB (Constructed, Neolithic - 4000 BC (Between) to 2201 BC (Between))
• LONG BARROW (Constructed, Neolithic - 4000 BC (Between) to 2201 BC (Between))

Full description

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

'Tumulus' shown as an oval feature on 19th century map.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 1140-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1974, SX65NE4 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV148139.

(24/03/1950) An oval-shaped mound composed of turf and stones being broader at the northern end. It measures 23 metres north to south and 12.5 metres east to west, height approximately 1 metre. In very dilapidated condition.
(15/04/1974) The mound is situated on a slight south-east slope at 1050 ft O.D. It is 25 metres long, orientated north-south, is 16.0 metres wide and 0.9 metre high at the north end and 10.0 metres wide and 0.7 metre high at the south end. There are no visible side ditches. The construction is of earth and small stones but extensive pillaging and/or excavation has exposed a number of large upright and some displaced stones. The mound is certainly a long barrow.

Fox, A., 1973, South West England 3,500BC - AD600 (Revised Edition), 70 (revised ed) (Monograph). SDV16216.

Fletcher, M. + Grinsell, L. V. + Quinnell, N. V., 1974, A Long Cairn on Butterdon Hill, Ugborough, 163-4, Figure 1 (Article in Serial). SDV148316.

On the east slope of Butterdon Hill there is a cairn which, shown as oval on the Ordnance Survey 6 inch map, presents all the characteristics of a long cairn, except that it is orientated almost north-south, the
larger end being to the north. The mound, which is mutilated, has a maximum height of 0.9 metres near the north end and 0.7 near the south. The line of standing stones extending along the east side of the long axis, varying in height from 0.3 metre (south) to 0.6 metre (north) suggests the remains of a gallery grave.
Compared with Cuckoo Ball and Corringdon Ball Gate cairns and Meacombe burial chamber. Small mound 6 metres south of cairn.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 133 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Site visited on 24th June 1973. Long cairn placed south to north with the broader end at north. Diameter 23 metres by 12.5 metres, length 1 metre. Siting on false crest or hill slope.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 38 photo, 256 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Additional reference.

Robinson, R., 1984, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1984 (Un-published). SDV343082.

Site visited on 12th June 1984.

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

Large cairn not very clear on 1946 aerial photograph.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 36-7, Map 53 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Neolithic long cairn on Butterdon Hill is well preserved retaining a tapering shape only slightly distorted by displaced stones and probably not much lower than its original height of 0.9 metres. Diameter 25 metres. Damage is mainly confined to the pitted upper surface particularlt at the higher end. No chamber has been exposed but a line of slabs within the body of the mound has led to the suggestion that the tomb is a gallery grave. Five metres from and in line with the lower end is a conventional round cairn of 4 metres diameter which has also been dug into.

Bray, L., 2017, Stony mound 480 metres east of summit of Butterdon Hill (Worksheet). SDV363033.

Visited 21/08/2017. SX 66012 58594 The feature consists of a long, stony mound with a broadly trapezoidal shape measuring approximately 23 metres long and approximately 1.0 metre high with its axis aligned north-south. At its northern end it is around 13 metres wide and tapers to around 5.0 metres in the south. Four photographs taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UG21 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(05/09/2019) Condition assessed as moderate; main damage agent is bracken.

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

Images taken during September 2019 visit.

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

'Long Barrow' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2020, National Heritage List for England, 1012247 (National Heritage List for England). SDV363414.

This long cairn is one of a very few known on Dartmoor, it lies to the east of Butterdon Hill near the head of Lud Brook and is orientated north/south. The body of the cairn is oval, with maximum dimensions of 23 metres in length and 11 metres in width and about 0.9 metres in height. Large stones along its east side suggest that it was a gallery grave, with a passage leading to the burial chamber.

Riley, H., 2021, Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Landscape, Harford and Ugborough, 8 (Report - Survey). SDV364697.

Long cairn on the eastern slopes of Butterdon Hill.

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

Site visited on 24th April 2021 surveyed and photographed. Long cairn. Trapezoidal mound, 24 metres north to south; 16 metres east to west at the north end tapering to 9 metres east to west at the south end, 0.9-0.7 metres high. Hollows and mounds across the cairn suggest excavation and stone extraction. Upright and fallen stones along south part of mound may be remains of gallery graves; the stones on the lower, north edge could be remains of small chamber; small mound 5.5 metres north to south by 4 metres east to west, 0.2 metres high could be part of tail to long cairn with parallels at Cuckoo Ball and Corringdon Ball long cairns. Paths run close to the north-west and south-east edges of the mound.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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