See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Stony round cairn, 17 metres in diameter and 1.5 metres high, in line with the stone row to the south-west. A quarry ditch around the mound is visible as a band of rushes on the northern side of the mound. The hollow in the centre of the mound is probably the result of partial robbing or an early excavation.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1009092: Round cairn east of Down Tor, 770m north east of Combshead Tor

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: 130926
• National Monuments Record: SX56NE31
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438589
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/79
• Old SAM County Ref: 382
• Old SAM Ref: 24122
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX56NE31

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Tumulus marked.

Brent, F., 1883, On a group of prehistoric remains on Dartmoor, 218 (Article in Serial). SDV273189.

Worth, R. H., 1892, 14th Report of the Barrow Committee, 48 (Article in Serial). SDV237177.

Burnard, R., 1894, Dartmoor Pictorial Records. Plymouth, 69 (Monograph). SDV232119.

Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Menhirs, 198 (Article in Serial). SDV231163.

Turf-covered cairn with a hollow centre standing approximately 200 metres on the terminal menhir of a stone row.

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

A cairn, "54ft diameter at the base and 36ft diameter at the top", on the same alignment at Down Tor stone row (SX 56 NE 29).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1979, SX56NE31, SX56NE31 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV232122.

(09/06/1950) Cairn. Diameter 17.0 metres, height 1.1 metres. Turf-covered with a hollow in the centre.
(SX 59196944) Cairn (NR). (1954 Ordnance Survey map)
(02/04/1979) On a slight west-facing slope at approximately 375m. OD, is a cairn of medium-sized boulders with a fairly complete kerb. Its diameter is 17.0m and height 1.3m. There is a depression off-centre which is 3.5m in diameter and 1.2m deep. The cairn is in alignment with the two terminal stones at either end of the stone row to the south-west (SX 56 NE 29).
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 212 (Monograph). SDV231148.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 175 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Site visit 6th September 1972. Cairn to east of Down Tor. According to Burnard, in 1894 it showed 'traces of chambering'. Diameter 16.5 metres, height 1.2 metres.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 147 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Aligned with the row and two hundred yards beyond its termination is a cairn, and near this a pear-shaped pound.

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

Department of Environment field monument warden visit 4th July 1984.

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

Site recorded.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP130926, 25/05/1993 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Cairn mound 17 metres in diameter and standing up to 1.5 metres high. A hollow cut into the core of the mound measures 4 metres by 3metres by 1.2 metres deep and the sides are partly revetted. This pit is probably the result of partial robbing or an early excavation, although the results of the investigation are not known. The edges of the mound are steep sided indicating the presence of a kerb, which survives largely as a buried feature. A ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the cairn, surrounds the mound. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a 1.5 metre wide band of rushes, on the north side of the mound, caused by increased moisture in the buried ditch. This cairn is in direct line with the 2 terminal stones at either end of the stone alignment to the south-west.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 67-68, Map 47, Figure 47.5 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Large cairn at SX59206945 of 19.0 metres diameter by 1.6 metres high at Narrator Brookhead. At its base at SX58646931 on the west side are two tiny mounds no more than 2.5 metres diameter by 0.2 metres high containing upended slabs.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA160 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA160.

Newman, P., 2006, Cramber Tor Training Area Archaeological Field Investigation (Report - Survey). SDV233640.

(01/08/2006) Large stony feature which is a magnet to visitors to the area. It has been subject to a number of disturbance episodes in the past and of particular note is the large hollow in the centre. Of particular concern, however, is a newly built stone pile on the north-eastern fringe of the cairn. It should be removed before it attracts more stones.

Newman, P., 2007, Cramber Tor Training Area Monument Baseline Condition Survey, No. 438589 (Report - Survey). SDV348210.

Site visit 1st August 2006. Stony round cairn at risk from disturbance by members of the public. Condition fair, status declining.
Stony round cairn, 17 metres diameter, 1.5 metres high with a hollow in the centre 4 metres by 3 metres and 1.2 metres deep which is probably the result of partial robbing or early excavation. The edges of the mound are steep-sided indicating the presence of a kerb which now survives mainly as a buried feature. A quarry ditch surrounds the mound visible as a 1.5 metres band of rushes on the northern side of the mound. The cain is in line with the stone row to the south-west.

Probert, S., 2008, Follow-Up Works to Cramber Tor Archaeological Baseline Condition Survey, Dartmoor Training Area, 15, No. 438589 (Report - Survey). SDV351304.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Cairn visible on aerial photograph, circa 13.5 metres diameter with a hollow in the middle.

Greeves, T., 2012, Cramber Tor Training Area. Monument Condition Survey, No. 438589 (Report - Survey). SDV350251.

Site visit 19th January 2012. Condition and stability good.

Probert, S., 2013, Cramber Tor Survey data (Cartographic). SDV361430.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Cairn marked.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-DT16 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 12/07/2019. The outer slope of the cairn is covered with grass and heather while the central rocks are mainly exposed Good condition overall. Photo taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-DT16 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 12/07/2019. Photo taken showing the cairn looking north west

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1009092 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes a round cairn situated on a gentle west-facing slope of Hingston Hill overlooking Down Tor. The cairn mound measures 17 metres in diameter and stands up to 1.5 metres high. A hollow cut into the core of the mound measures 4 metres long, 3 metres wide, 1.2 metres deep and the sides are partly revetted. This pit is probably the result of partial robbing or an early excavation, although the results of the investigation are not known. The edges of the mound are steep sided indicating the presence of a kerb, which survives largely as a buried feature. A ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the cairn, surrounds the mound. This has become infilled over the years but is represented by a 1.5 metres wide band of rushes, on the northern side of the mound, caused by increased moisture in the buried ditch. This cairn is in direct line with the two terminal stones at either end of the stone alignment to the south west which is the subject of a separate scheduling.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 28/06/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

A round cairn located 770 metres north-east of Combshead Tor. The cairn mound measures 17 metres in diameter and stands up to 1.5 metres high. A hollow in the centre of the mound measures 4 metres long, 3 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep, and is probably the result of partial robbing or early excavation. The edges of the mound are steep-sided, indicating the existence of a kerb, which now survives mainly as a buried feature. A quarry ditch surrounds the mound, visible as a 1.5 metre wide band of rushes on the northern side of the mound, the result of increased moisture in the buried ditch. This cairn is in direct line with the two terminal stones at either end of a stone alignment to the south-west (SX 56 NE 29). Scheduled Monument Review, 06/10/2000.

National Monument Record, 31/05/1978, SF1247 (Aerial Photograph). SDV232124.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6034 - Monument Condition Survey in Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6152 - Follow-up Works to Threatened Sites in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6153 - Monument Baseline Condition Survey in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8711 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area

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