See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

One of several Prehistoric cairns running south from Blackslade Ford surmounted by a stone marking the boundary between Buckland in the Moor and Ashburton parishes. A low earthwork, the outline of which is a near perfect circle with a base diameter of 21 metres, though the interior comprises only irregular hummocks and pits. A parish boundary stone stands upright just west of centre.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a Bronze Age parallel reave system on Buckland Common and Blackslade Down, including prehistoric hut circle settlements and cairns, medieval and later remains

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77SW/257
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Early Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 2200 BC to 700 BC)

Full description

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 665 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Ham Hill is the former name of Cold East Cross.

Belsey, P. M., 1983 - 1987, Buckland In The Moor Parish Checklist (Un-published). SDV345904.

Site visited on 3rd February 1983 The boundary stone is set up in the centre of a roughly circular area of disturbed ground approximately 20 metres in diameter. Adjacent to the car park at Cold East Cross.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume One - The East, 114 (Monograph). SDV299725.

Cairns and earthworks on Blackslade Down and Buckland Common. Cairn 'f' is a large earthwork surrounding the boundary stone near Cold Cross East. It cosists of a circular bank with an external diameter oif 22 metres and a raised interior which has been trenched and pitted. It is in a linear arrangement of earthworks running south along the hillside to Cold Cross East and continuing along the ridge of Buckland Common to Buckland Beacon. Some of these are little more than a scatter of small stones around low mounds or banks and might easily be overlooked but for the boundary stones set within many of them. The earthworks are probably the remains of Prehistoric cairns and are the reason for the irregular course of the parish boundary between Blackslade Ford and Buckland Common which was laid out when these structures were more prominent. Other details: Map 10.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

Cairn north-west of Cold Cross East was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 2004. Other details: Site 40.

Gerrard, S., 2006, Dartmoor Nationally Important Sites (Cartographic). SDV345607.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Cairn not shown on modern mapping. Boundary stone shown as 'B.S.'.

Richards, A., 2010, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV345907.

A 17th century boundary description gives Hamborough or Hamway Burrough as a mark. Document 74/134 in the West Devon Record Collection.

Newman, P., 2015, Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, 56, figure 8 (Report - Survey). SDV359145.

A round cairn 100 metres north-west of Cold East Cross
A low earthwork, the outline of which is a near perfect circle with a base diameter of 21 metres, though the interior comprises only irregular hummocks and pits. A parish boundary stone stands upright just west of centre. Surveyed at 1:200 scale (Fig 8). Condition is stable but with legacy damage. SX73990 74280

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

(29/08/2020) SX 73993 74283 Condition assessed as ?good. Gorse and hawthorn sapling noted. Bracken covers roughly 80% of site. Site ?stable.

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

Image taken during August 2020 visit.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6836 - Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape survey

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.