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Summary

Enclosure containing two hut circles. The enclosure lies in the triangle of land between Drizzle Combe and the River Plym and is situated on the lower slopes of a gentle south-west facing spur leading from Higher Hartor. The sub-circular enclosure measures internally 60m north to south by 52m east to west and is defined by a rubble wall 2m wide and up to 0.5m high. A leat cuts through the enclosure from east to west and a scarp lying some 10m to the north of this may represent an earlier route taken by this leat.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014145: Three stone alignments, 15 cairns, a cist, a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement and a small clapper bridge at Drizzle Combe

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE91
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438761
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/41
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24104
• Old SAM Ref: 10727

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1943, The Prehistoric Pounds of Dartmoor, 276-8. Plan (Article in Serial). SDV320337.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2494, 4128-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV147533.

Photograph taken on 11th March 1948.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX56NE91 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV231285.

(19/05/1950) Enclosure (length 59m, width 54m, wall height 0.4m) whose wall is composed of turf covered stones. A modern leat has been constructed through this enclosure with the result that the wall has disappeared in two places. Hut E (diameter 4m, wall height 0.4m) has walls composed of the usual turf covered stones. No entrance visible.
(27/06/1977) On a south-facing slope at 340.0m OD above the River Plym lies an enclosure, roughly circular, 60.0m x 55.0m overall, containing one hut circle. The enclosure wall, of turf-covered stones, is in poor condition and has been cut through from west to east by a leat. The hut is of Type 1, internal diameter 3.5m, heather-covered and in rather poor condition; there is no visible entrance (Type site; SX 56 SE 19). There is some evidence of clearance within the enclosure but no sign of any associated field system.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Balaam, N. D. + Smith, K. + Wainwright, G. J., 1982, The Shaugh Moor Project: Fourth Report - Environment, Context and Conclusion, 258 (Article in Serial). SDV145845.

Possibly associated with Prehistoric tinning.

Fleming, A., 1987, Prehistoric Tin Extraction on Dartmoor: A Cautionary Note, 117-122 (Article in Serial). SDV215976.

Price, D. G., 1988, Prehistoric Tin Extraction on Dartmoor: A Reply to Andrew Fleming, 91-5, 129-138 (Article in Serial). SDV215977.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133431 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(12/03/1993) At SX59386706. Enclosure containing two hut circles. The enclosure lies in the triangle of land between Drizzle Combe and the River Plym and is situated on the lower slopes of a gentle south-west facing spur leading from Higher Hartor. The sub-circular enclosure measures internally 60m north to south by 52m east to west and is defined by a rubble wall 2m wide and up to 0.5m high.
A leat [AI 133446] cuts through the enclosure from east to west and a scarp lying some 10m to the north of this may represent an earlier route taken by this leat.
The stone hut circles are composed of circular stone and earth banks surrounding an internal area. The northern stone hut circle is of the simple plan type and includes a 5.3m diameter internal area surrounded by a 1.5m wide and 0.4m high double orthostatic wall. A south-west facing gap in the wall may represent an original doorway. The southern stone hut circle is of the simple plan and rubble bank walling type and survives as 1.5m wide and 0.4m high wall surrounding a 2m diameter internal area. A south-south-west facing gap in the wall may represent the original doorway.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 128,Figure 49.13, Map 49 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Drizzlecombe Prehistoric Enclosure (C) bisected by a leat and containing two hut circles. Cross slabs identify the an original entrance into the uphill half of the pound.

Robertson, J. G., 1994, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym Valley, 872 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV139549.

Depicted.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DTM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360208.

Enclosure shown bisected by a linear feature on Lidar data.

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

(01/08/1999) This enclosure centred at SX 5938 6706 has a well preserved boulder/stone wall and it is now bisected by two tinners leats (SX56NE 233).
The remains of two hut circles lie within the wall: one at SX 5939 6709, measures 2.8m to 3.6m in internal diameter with a ragged stony bank 0.7m high. The entrance may be located in the south side.
The second, at SX 5936 6707, measures 2.0m by 2.3m in internal diameter with a poor stony wall 0.4m high. The position of the entrance is not discernible

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

Feature shown on aerial photograph.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England, 1014145 (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

Sub circular enclosure, diameter 35 metres, bank 1.5 metres wide and 0.5 metres high. Hut circle close to inside of north wall 6 metres diameter, walls 2 metres thick and 0.5 metres high.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UP-DZ 25 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 08/02/2020. Overall condition moderate. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, UP-DZ 25 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 0° showing grass/moss and bracken cover on enclosure walls and within enclosure with reeds along the leat.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey

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