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Summary

The Shovel Down System is visible over an area of circa 230 hectares of unenclosed moorland. With the exception of approximately 30 hectares within Fernworthy Forest it has been surveyed in its entirety (1990/1991). See MDV29123 for the eastern side of the system.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017874: The North Teign coaxial field system (western part) and associated later remains at Shovel Down, Stonetor Hill and Long Ridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68NW24
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443730
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NW/112
• Old SAM Ref: 28663

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2082, 4352-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV221887.

National Monument Record, 1979, NMR SF1501, 64-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDV268953.

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

A system of parallel reaves is visible on 1947 and 1979 aerial photographs; one runs for approximately 1300m in a south-easterly direction from close to the right bank of the North Teign River (SX 6412 8511 to SX 6473 8498). An enclosure may be contemporary with this reave. Three further reaves appear to branch off from the first reave, roughly at right angles. The northernmost reave runs from SX 6435 8560 to SX 6454 8580, and the centre one from SX 6452 8531 to SX 6500 8560. The s reave appears to start at SX 6465 8510 and then proceeds eastwards in the general direction of one of the settlements on Shovel Down.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(02/05/1990) Centred SX 6469 8485, the Shovel Down parallel reave system within Langridge Newtake.
Approximately 33 hectares of this system lies within the enclosed land on Langridge and Stonetor Hill. The terminal reave, forming the western edge of the system runs in a north-west by south-east line between SX 6421 8596 and SX 6478 8499 through the centre of the newtake. From it six parallel reaves extend in a north-easterly direction at intervals of between 75m and 310m. Measuring around 1.5m wide and up to 0.7m high both the terminal and the parallel reaves have, in places, been robbed their lines being preserved as slight scarps 0.2m to 0.4m high. On the crest and south-west side of Stonetor Hill dense clitter and peat cuttings partly obscure the course of the parallel reaves. A possible gateway in a short cross-reave at SX 6465 8561 is flanked by two upright boulders 1.2m apart.
Within the system a disturbed hut circle (SX 68 NW 56) lies at SX 6441 8566 adjacent to one of the parallel reaves while a small enclosure (SX 68 NW 57) at SX 6433 8566 is attached to the terminal reave.
An extensive settlement containing thirty five huts and enclosures (SX 68 NW 21) and two cairns (SX 68 NW 54 and 55) straddles the terminal reave in the sheltered combe at the head of Stonetor Brook. Two further clusters of huts (SX 68 NW 16 and 53) lie immediately west of this reave on the east flank of Langridge. The enclosures associated with the settlement (SX 68 NW 21) would appear to abut and therefore post-date elements of the parallel system though the relationship of the two hut clusters (SX 68 NW 16 and 53) with the reaves is uncertain.

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

Centred SX 6510 8600. The Shovel Down parallel reave system is one of three such systems that occupy the area between the North and South Teign Rivers.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 143988 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(1997) Part of coaxial field system.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, map 37 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Depicted by Butler.

Probert, S. A. J., 1991, Shovel Down Survey (Report - Survey). SDV359365.

(19/08/1991) All three systems have been surveyed at 1:2500.
The Shovel Down System is visible over an area of circa 230 hectares of unenclosed moorland. With the exception of approximately 30 hectares within Fernworthy Forest it has been surveyed in its entirety.
The western edge is marked by a terminal reave running north-north-west from the boundary of Fernworthy Forest towards the North Teign River. The eastern margin is formed by the 'Scorhill Reave' (Fleming, 1988, 53) that is itself the terminal reave of the well-developed system around Castor Rock (SX 68 NE 67), The North Teign River forms the current edge of survey and appears to have been the northern boundary of this system in prehistory. To the south, the Forestry Commission holdings at Fernworthy and the wall surrounding Thornworthy Down constitute the limit of survey. The latter probably overlies Fleming's 'Teign Divider' reave which is the postulated division between the parallel systems of the North and South Teign Rivers.
Nine hut clusters and three individual huts are apparent within the surveyed area. The former can be tentatively divided into two groups; huts/settlements built into the planned framework of the parallel system and those of an apparently earlier origin. The obviously contemporary huts (SX 68 NW 20 and SX 68 NE 53) are intimately associated with rectilinear enclosures of between 0.08 hectares and 0.4 hectares in well-developed areas of the system. Huts are well-built with diameters generally in the 5.0 to 5.5m range. The earlier huts are typically associated with irregular enclosures of between 0.02 hectares and 0.2 hectares. Construction is usually of a poorer standard with diameters typically 3.0m to 4.0m. Two of these settlements (SX 68 NW 21 and SX 68 NE 41) shown signs of being assimilated into the more regular parallel system.
The robbed huts (SX 68 NE 121) SSW of Stone Tor seem to be contemporary with the system as do the two huts 500m to the east (SX 68 NE13). The vestigial field walls near the latter possess the irregular form of earlier boundaries.
Two groups of four huts (SX 68 NW 16 and 53) lie to the west of the terminal reave, outside the system. The size of these features suggests an early origin. A settlement of five huts and an extensive area of fields (SX 68 NW 61) lies within the parallel system but does not possess a direct relationship with it.
Two of the individual huts (SX 68 NW 56 and 60) are associated with the reaves while the third (SX 68 NE 113) lies 300m from the nearest contemporary boundary.
Two small sub-circular enclosures (SX 68 NE 110 and 123) are situated within the area of reaves but are not directly associated with them. Their origin is only presumed to be prehistoric.
Ten cairns (SX 68 NW 14, 15, 54, 55, 64 and 65 and SX 68 NE 52 and 111) and one solitary cist (SX 68 NE 75) lie within the system. Two of the cairns are intimately associated with one of the earlier settlements (SX 68 NW 21). The stone rows (SX 68 NE 16) at the extreme edge of the system are respected by the Scorhill Reave. Only the single row (SX 68 NE 16H) is bisected.
Medieval and later exploitation of this area is marked by a plethora of monuments. (See RCHME Survey 'Shovel Down' at 1:2500 scale).

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Compiled survey information for the reave system based on the 1990/1991 Royal Commission survey data of the area.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8652 - Langridge Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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