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Summary

Extensive hut circle settlement at Watern Oke with a group of ninety mutilated hut circles and fragmentary enclosure walls. The huts are poorly preserved, most having been excavated in 1905. Many of the huts are linked by fragments of contemporary walling averaging 1.0 metres wide and up to 0.6 metres high. They form no identifiable pattern. Finds from the site included an allegedly Roman bead of about the 1st-2nd century AD and flint arrowheads.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1011559: Sixty stone hut circles forming part of an unenclosed settlement at Watern Oke

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58SE9
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440603
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SE/16
• Old SAM County Ref: 488
• Old SAM Ref: 20354
• Old SAM Ref: 20355
• Old SAM Ref: 20356
• Old SAM Ref: 20357
• Old SAM Ref: 20359
• Old SAM Ref: 20360
• Old SAM Ref: 20361
• Old SAM Ref: 20362

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• UNENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Anderson, I. K., 1906, 11th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 101-113 (Article in Serial). SDV337055.

(SX 56608345) Enclosures & Hut Circles (NR). The hut circle settlement at Watern Oke was excavated in July 1905 and 94 huts were examined. Considerable amounts of charcoal were found together with the usual accompanying cooking stones, pottery and flints, including flint arrowheads. Most of the huts were circular, ranging in diameter from 7 ft to 19 ft with a smaller number oval in shape, and a few of irregular shape which were probably cooking pits.
In one of the larger huts (No 57) was found a small blue glass bead, 1/2" long and 1/10" diameter.

Burnard, R., 1911, Address of the President, 49 (Article in Serial). SDV231227.

Worth, R. H., 1943, The Prehistoric Pounds of Dartmoor, 295 (Article in Serial). SDV320337.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, 3376-3378 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 4296 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX58SE9 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV232751.

(07/07/1950) The walls of the hut circles are composed of the usual turf covered stones.
Hut settlement at Watern Oak; contains about 94 hut circles. It was excavated in July 1905. Enclosures in the form of slight connecting walls are present also. Charcoal in considerable quantities, much more than usual, was found in most of the huts with the usual accompanying cooking stones, pottery and flints; also a small glass bead, blue in colour and semi opaque, which was dug up about 762mm below the surface in hut 57 (MDV3550). The whole settlement seems to have been intended for occupation in connection with peaceful pursuits (citing Transactions of the Devonshire Association, 1906, 101-113).
According to Lady Fox (oral information, 09-NOV-51) the bead found in hut 57 may be a Romano-British melon bead (1st or early 2nd century date). It most nearly resembles one found with 2nd century Roman remains at Water Newton (TL 19 NW62).

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1952 /1953, Prehistoric Settlements on Dartmoor and the Cornish Moors, 67-68, 70 (Article in Serial). SDV337080.

Fourteen of the 94 huts excavated produced pottery. The huts were all of the same small type. Largest internal diameter 6.0m.

Ancient Monuments, 1961 / 1990, Scheduling description (Schedule Document). SDV232757.

(September 1961) Large late Bronze Age / Iron Age village of at least 56 small circular huts. On the upper edge, among clitter there are some enclosure walls. Moorland. Finds in Plymouth Museum. Internal diameter of hut circles est 6.096m.
(1990) 60 hut circles, of which 51 circular, 9 oval. Circular huts range 1.5m to 6.6m internal diameter; oval huts 2.4m to 6.4m long by 1.8m to 4.3m wide. Height 0.5m to 1.1m. 34 of the huts contain hearths; 5 have porches; 2 have internal partitions; 1 a bench; 1 an annexe. 29 of the huts are attached to boundary walls. 56 huts were partially excavated in 1905. Recovery of a Romano-British glass bead suggests more than one period of occupation (see related records). Further huts probably survive to the north, but these are not included in the scheduling.

St. Joseph, J. K. S., 1967, Unknown title, 60-61 (Article in Serial). SDV219152.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX58SE9 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV224436.

(05/11/1979) In the clitter above the steep slopes of the River Tavy at Watern Oke, between 423m and 441m OD, are ninety-nine Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19) hut circles, the majority in very poor condition due to the 1905 excavations.
Some are linked by rubble walling, 0.9m wide and 0.3m high. The internal diameter of the huts vary from 2.1m to 7.2m with rubble walling between 0.6m and 1.2m wide and up to 1.0m high internally.
With reference to the Anderson's plan (1906), huts (12) and (22) have porches while hut (17) has internal subdivisions. Hut (27c) is now much covered by peat which is encroaching upon the whole site. Hut (81) is now merely a pit and reference to the 1906 description shows that because it lacked stone the excavators considered it doubtful.
The roofed shelter at SX 56548338 (See large scale plan) appears to be relatively recent. Two linked huts at SX 56448347 (A) and SX 56458349 (B) are additional. Huts (82) and (80) are now SX 58 SE 12 and SX 58 SE 25.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD. See ground photograph. Alterations made to Anderson's plan.

Attrill, N., 1980, Plan of Watern Oke settlement after Anderson (Plan - measured). SDV232755.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV342809.

(26/08/1982) Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visit.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV345762.

Visited 19/01/1983 and 03/09/1983.

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

Open settlement of 35 hut circles in two separate groups, though the Ordnance Survey shows hut circles between the two areas. Drawing made from very faded 1947 photograph.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Visited 29/09/1986.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 101-102, Map 32, Figure 32.1 (Monograph). SDV219155.

'Watern Oke West' settlement includes three unconnected groups of huts separated by open ground though perhaps all occupied at the same time. The largest group of seventy-eight huts is confined to a thick belt of clitter to the east of the River Tavy. There are numerous small paddocks but the total area enclosed is only about 0.4 hectares.

Dick, A. M., 1993, Comment by SMR officer (Personal Comment). SDV232761.

(21/10/1993) NB: Area scheduled under Devon SAM 488 approximately 425m by 225m. Area scheduled under SAM 20354 approximately 350m by 50m. Some huts outside new area now scheduled in their own right (SX58SE/6, 75-77) but others may have been de facto descheduled.
As above. Scheduling because they are buried below peat.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(15/08/1995) Centred SX56578341. A group of ninety mutilated hut circles and fragmentary enclosure walls lie on the crest and SE flank of Watern Oke, a steep stony hillside above the right bank of the River Tavy. The huts are poorly preserved, most having been excavated by Anderson although six (nos 20, 32, 34, 40, 58 and 77) remain wholly or partially intact. None of the excavations seem to have been backfilled and many of the huts were so badly reconstructed that they now appear somewhat rectangular in plan. Within the settlement are twelve natural stony hollows which were interpreted as hut circles and excavated by Anderson. A further feature resembling a tin pit at the E end of the site was also thought to be a hut circle (Anderson's no 81) and was excavated. Two later structures (now SX 58 SE 25 and 36) lie within the settlement area and were also described by Anderson.
The remains suggest that the huts at Watern Oke were relatively small with internal diameters in the range 1.8m to 5.2m. Entrances, where apparent, are generally concentrated in the S and E quadrants though several may have been created at the whim of the excavator. Many of the huts are linked by fragments of contemporary walling, stony banks averaging 1.0m wide and a maximum of 0.6m high. They form no identifiable pattern.
Of the four additional 'huts' depicted and described by Butler (1991, 102) two, at approximately SX56398364 and SX56418349, are natural features.
A list giving the measurements of each structure is in the archive.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(21/08/2003) This settlement remains as described by the Royal Commission in 1995. The individual features remain in a stable condition with no signs of recent disturbance.

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

Hut circles and boundaries shown on survey.

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

Huts and boundaries visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

'Settlement' and 'Hut Circles' shown at 'Watern Oke' on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1011559 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

This monument includes sixty stone hut circles, three cooking hearths and a post-medieval storage building situated immediately next to an area of clitter on a south facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Tavy and forming part of the large unenclosed stone hut circle settlement at Watern Oke. Of the sixty hut circles, fifty-one are circular in plan and the internal diameters of these huts vary from 1.5 metres to 6.6 metres. Nine huts are oval in plan, and these range between 2.4 metres to 6.4 metres long and 1.8 metres to 4.3 metres wide and stand between 0.5 metres and 1.1 metres high. Thirty-four of the huts contain hearths, five have porches, two have internal partition walls, one has a bench and another an annexe. Twenty-nine of the hut circles are attached to boundary walls. The three cooking hearths consist of small stone-lined pits containing burnt stone and charcoal. The small storage building consists of a rectangular single roomed structure with corbelled walls and a stone lintel roof. The interior of the structure measures 1.2 metres long by 0.9 metres wide and the wall stands up to 1.3 metres high. This structure is not large enough to have provided shelter and it is therefore more likely to be a storage building or cache.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5854 - COOKING STONE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC?)
• FDV5853 - SHERD (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC?)

Associated Events

• EDV8439 - Excavation of settlement at Wattern Oke
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range

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