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Summary

The remains of a kerb circle surrounding a cairn of 3.3 metres diameter by 0.2 metres high. There is a possibly displaced block of stone isolated on the east side of the perimeter.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Prehistoric cairn circle to east of Drizzle Combe, Ditsworthy Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record (Yes): SX56NE40
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438613
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/78

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• KERB CIRCLE (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Stone Circle (Remains of)' shown on early 20th century map.

Worth, R. H., 1915, 34th Report of the Barrow Committee, 131-133 (Article in Serial). SDV364046.

Remains of a kerb circle eighty yards south of the cist known as "Drizzlecombe Northern" (SX 56 NE 23). Almost total excavation in 1914 revealed half an 11 ft diameter cairn circle and the slight remains of a cairn. Notable finds were three flint flakes and a "well finished" flint scraper.

Worth, R. H., 1937, 56th Report of the Barrow Committee, 96, plate 17, fig 3 (Article in Serial). SDV20973.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX56NE40 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV231929.

(31/05/1950) no trace of "stone circle".
(27/06/1977) The remains of this kerb circle consist of 7 stones surviving in the eastern half. Two are 0.3m high, the others are flush with the ground; all average about 0.5m in length. The original diameter was approximately 3.3m. There is a possibly displaced block of stone, 0.3m by 0.2m by 0.1m high, isolated on the east side of the perimeter. A very slight rise possibly indicating the cairn is visible within the circle. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 167/25a (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Cairn 3.8m diameter height slight.

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

Not visible on the 1946 Royal Air Force vertical aerial photographs.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 47 48 75/E35 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform circle. Nearly complete ring of kerb stones, 3.5m internal diam, enclosing flat-topped cairn 0.4m high. Central pit contained charcoal.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 142, 210, Map 49, Figure 49.18 & 49.19.4 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Drizzlecombe cairn '14' at SX59126712 of 3.5 metres diameter by 0.2 metres high with the tops of seven close set kerb stones representing less than half the circumference of the retaining circle. It had already been robbed of all stones above ground level before it was excavated in 1914. Three flint fragments and a scraper were found amongst the stones of the base courses as well as a small amount of charcoal. More charcoal was found in a 0.5 metres deep internment pit near the centre.

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

(30/08/1999) The remains of this ring cairn lie in deep heather and bracken vegetation and are now difficult to see. Probing revealed the presence of the remnants of the low stone kerb as described by the Ordnance Survey (1977).

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

'Cairn Circle' marked on modern mapping.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UP-DZ 22 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 05/02/2020. Overall condition moderate. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, UP-DZ 22 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 160° showing grass/moss and bracken cover.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape
• EDV8380 - Excavation of the cairn circle

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