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Summary

The Butterdon Hill single stone alignment of 1.95 kilometres along the ridge between Butterdon Hill and Piles Hill and is the second longest stone alignment on Dartmoor. The stones are up to a metre in height and are spaced at intervals of 1 metre to 1.5 metres. There is a cairn with a retaining kerb at the southern end of the alignment and a recumbent stone, known as the Longstone, which is considered to have been the northern terminal. One stone in the row around 300 metres south of this northern terminal has a cross incised on its west face and is known as Hobajon's Cross. The line has been adopted as the Harford Moor / Ugborough Moor Common Land boundary and includes introduced modern boundary stones.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012486: Butterdon Hill stone alignment and cairn
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of the early 20th century China Clay works at Redlake Mine and the associated railway, as well as prehistoric remains on Ugborough Moor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX65NE17
• National Monuments Record: SX66SE107
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441148
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442078
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NE/6
• Old SAM County Ref: 310
• Old SAM Ref: 10558

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• STONE ALIGNMENT (Constructed, Neolithic - 4000 BC (Between) to 2201 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. N., 1892, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor, 403 (Article in Serial). SDV237176.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 395 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Tyler, F. C., 1930-1931, Kistvaens at Thornworthy and Stone Rows, 115-119 (Article in Serial). SDV251072.

This row is included in Tyler's discussion of the orientation of stone rows.

Brailsford, J. W., 1938, Bronze Age Stone Monuments of Dartmoor, 445 (Article in Serial). SDV304210.

Worth, R. H., 1941, Dartmoor: 1788 - 1808, 203 (Article in Serial). SDV160667.

Stone circle. At the southern terminus of the row is a retaining circle around a barrow. The retaining circle comprises twelve stones of which one remains a wreck, three lean inward towards the centre of the circle, and eight have fallen. The diameter of the circle which most nearly coincides with the inner faces of the stone is 10.7 metres. The row does not point to the centre of the circle but its direction passes 0.9 metres to the west of the centre. Within the circle are the remains of a low barrow.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 287 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

Butterdon Row lies high above the left bank of the Erme, and near the water parting between the valleys of that river and of the West Glaze. Full knowledge of its former extension was not available prior to the discovery of a map, made in 1799-1800 by John Andrews of Modbury, and his notes relative to the map. The southern end of the row lies close to the summit of Butterdon Hill, starting with a barrow with a retaining circle 10.7 metres in diameter.
The row is single and measures around 1.9 kilometres and terminates in a fallen menhir at the northern end (elevation 381 metres). The row is convex towards the east to the extent of 49 metres.
At a distance of 1650 metres north of the barrow there stands a stone with a cross incised upon it, once known as Hobajohn's Cross. The row formerly extended to and beyond this stone, but this extension was swept away in 1803.
On Piles Hill, 271 metres north of the cross lies a fallen menhir, known as the Longstone, the former terminal of the row. Certain stones standing in the row between its southern end and Hobajohn's Cross will be found to have been split by the tare-and-feather method. These were added when the row was accepted by the disputing parties as the boundary between Harford and Langford Lester Moors. In the same year, 1803, a modern boundary stone was erected beside the Longstone. Row 2.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 205, 269 (Monograph). SDV337618.

The Butterdon Row was formerly thought to end at Hobajons Cross (SX 66 SE 58) but an extension from there to the Longstone (SX 66 SE 50) was disclosed with the discovery of a map of 1799-1800 made by John Andrews of Modbury. This extension was swept away in 1803.

Grinsell, L. V., 1970, Discovering Regional Archaeology: South Western England, 22 (Monograph). SDV304192.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX65NE17 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV247603.

(10/08/1977) The northern part of the Butterdon stone row has been surveyed from Hangershell Rocks cairn at SX 65645941 to Hobajons Cross at SX 65506045.
For the 1050 metres of this part the majority of the several hundred stones are from 0.1 metres to 0.4 metres high and form an irregular line. There is a gap of 70.0 metres on the north side of Hangershell but otherwise the row is fairly continuous. The area is not entirely free of natural surface stones and while some can be immediately discounted occasionally there is a short double or triple row where all the stones are alike and these which formed the original row cannot now be determined. Barely two dozen stones are 0.5 metres high or higher, Hobajons Cross at 1.2 metres being the highest. It is possible that this was at some stage a terminal stone since it appears to have cup marks on the south face and the extension onwards, to the Longstone, is on an entirely different alignment.
Row surveyed at 1:10000 on PFD.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX66SE107 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV178401.

(07/08/1977) There is no reason to doubt that a stone row existed between Hobajons Cross (SX 65506046) and the now recumbent Longstone (SX 65436074). This may, however, have been a later extension, or, quite separate from the Butterdon Row. Firstly, the extension is on a completely new alignment. (Grid N. 345o) 9o West of the Butterdon Row; secondly it is possible that Hobajons Cross, a stone of considerable size, formed the original north terminal. Over the 280m. ten stones remain as earthfast stumps up to 0.2m. high; one recumbent stone is 1.2m. long and a single standing stone 0.9m high may be original but is utilized as a boundary stone. These few stones deviate as much as 3.0m. from a direct line. Near the centre of alignment is a heap of slabs and posts spread over an area of 6.0m. by 3.0m. These include broken fragments and may be stones cleared from the row.
The row is on a south facing slope between 357m and 380m. O.D. The terminals are not now intervisible but since the Longstone was probably over 3.0m. high before its partial destruction it would have been visible from the southern end.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PHD; see also 1:1 000 survey on illustration card.

National Monuments Record, 1980, SF1743, 078-079, 085-086 (Aerial Photograph). SDV161746.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 254 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Additional reference.

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

Visited 12/6/1984.

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

Individual stones visible at SX65645941, SX65645844, SX65635953, SX65635954 and SX65635956 on 1980 National Monuments Record aerial photographs.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 24-5, 242, Map 53, Figures 53.7 & 53.7.2 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Butterdon Hill Stone Row was depicted on a 15th century map separating Harford and Ugborough moors. The southern end of the row starts at Cairn '1' from which the first 590 metres of the alignment are visible. It is moderately straight apart from a slight convexity downhill where the ground slopes toward the Butter Brook. Along this section the majority of stones are still present though many have fallen and become buried. With few exceptions the tallest stones were to be found in the first 60 metres, many of them over a metre long and set about 2 metres apart and now including a fallen boundary stone added to the row some 20 metres from the cairn. North of Cairn '2' the row drops out of sight down the far side of Butterdon Hill on a different orientation towards Hobajon's Cross, possibly an original termination. For the first 100 metres most stones are in place, albeit mainly flat and buried, followed by an almost complete absence for a further 200 metres from which over a hundred stones have been removed. Three tall pillars later bridged the gap as boundary markers. At least seven of these have been added at various points where the row has been robbed or become indistinct. The longstone of 2.25 metres high has been re-erected at a slight angle to the alignment, is the terminal pillar marking the end of the row.

Department of National Heritage, 1996, Consent letter for repairs to the row, (DNH:10/4/1996) (Correspondence). SDV175976.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for works concerning the infilling of various erosion hollows and the re-erection of fallen stone, with archaeological excavation of socket hollow prior to re-erection.

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

The Butterdon Hill single stone alignment runs for over 2 kilometres along the ridge between Butterdon Hill and Piles Hill and is the second longest stone alignment on Dartmoor. The stones are up to a metre in height and are spaced at intervals of 1 metre to 1.5 metres. There is a cairn 10.5 metres in diameter and 0.3 metres in height, with a retaining kerb at the southern end of the alignment and a recumbent stone, 2.56 metres in length, known as the Longstone, which is considered to have been the northern terminal. One stone in the row approximately 300 metres south of this northern terminal has a cross incised on its west face and is known as Hobajon's Cross. The line has been adopted as the Harford Moor/ Ugborough Moor Common Land boundary and includes introduced modern boundary stones.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

'Stone row' is depicted on the modern mapping.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UG28-29 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(05/09/2019) Condition assessed as good to moderate; impact from vegetation growth noted on the southern part of the row; site is vulnerable.

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

Series of images taken during September 2019 visit.

Riley, H., 2021, Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Landscape, Harford and Ugborough, 6, 5.8, 9, 7.1.4, Figures 9-10 (Report - Survey). SDV364697.

The Butterdon Hill stone row, which runs for 1.95 kilometres from Butterdon Hill to the southern slopes of Piles Hill. It runs north from a small cairn with a retaining circle on the summit of Butterdon Hill for 600 metres then changes direction to run north-north-west for 1.07 kilometres to Hobajohn's Cross then changes direction again to run for 280 metres to the Longstone on the southern slopes of Piles Hill.

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

Visited on 31st March 2021,surveyed and photographed. Stone row Butterdon Hill to Piles Hill: single stone row of mostly small upright granite slabs, 1.95 kilometres long; runs north for some 600 metres along Butterdon Hill from small cairn with retaining stone circle MDV2897 to a point east of Hangershell Rock where cairn MDV3124 lies adjacent to the row; it then runs north-north-west for some 1.07 kilometres to Hobajohn's Cross, where it changes direction again to run north-west for 280 metres to the Longstone MDV5653 possible cairn with cist (UG21026) and cairn (UG21025) in the course of the row; several post-medieval boundary stones MDV53235 in row north-west of cairn MDV3124. Well-trodden path runs alongside row with small upright stones vulnerable to damage; several shallow areas of disused turbary focus for erosion at southern end.

Unknown, Unknown, Unknown (Unattributed Sites and Monuments Register Entry). SDV175962.

Butterdon Hill. The second largest stone row on Dartmoor. Ordnance Survey CXIX (119) south-east single row, aligned on cairn from the north up the slope, the line is clearly seen. Many stones are flat but others are re-erected to serve as boundary markers. 142 stones were counted in the first 320 metres, then there is a group of three which may have been a retaining circle around a barrow. 87 stones were counted in the next 274 metres, but the row is lost at Marntory Rock. Resumes a few yards to the east and 41 counted between the cairn and the disturbed ground at Red Lake rail track which the row crosses. North of the track the ground is much disturbed by construction and firing butts built in 1861. The row can be traced, however, some 686 metres to Hobajon's Cross - a stretch with 114 stones. Worth states that the row originally extended up Piles Hill to the fallen menhir known as the Longstone (SX65446074) but that the stones were removed in 1803 (this gives an additional 375 metres to the 1650 total).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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