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Summary

Agglomerate enclosure straddling a shallow north-facing valley overlooking Newleycombe Lake. Composed of three conjoined enclosures defined by a partly faced rubble wall measuring 1.5 metres wide and up to 0.5 metres high. Interior of the southern enclosure measures 80 metres north-south by 90 metres east-west and the north-west enclosure, which is sub-triangular in shape, measures 44 metres north-south by 37 metres east-west. The original dimensions of the third enclosure are no longer discernible following later tin streamworking which has removed part of its extent. There are three gaps in the boundary which may represent original entrances, though it is possible that they may be the result of limited post-medieval stone robbing.
Three stone hut circles lie within the largest enclosure, three further examples are attached to the inner face of the boundary and one is linked to the same wall. Another hut is linked to the sub-triangular enclosure boundary wall.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1009093: An enclosed stone hut circle settlement, round cairn, pillow mound and tinworking earthworks 820m WSW of Nun's Cross
• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Raddick Hill to Nun's Cross, including extensive tinning remains at Cramber Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE107
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438806
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/123
• Old SAM County Ref: 827
• Old SAM Ref: 24123

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1970, SX56NE107 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV252550.

(14/08/1970) (Centred SX 595698) Two prehistoric pounds with a number of hut circles (small, probably Bronze Age) on the hillside south of the stream at the head of Newlycombe Lake. (See Illustrations Card).
They are threatened by a proposal to tunnel under the hillside in connection with the Swincombe reservoir scheme (oral info from Lady S. sayer, 25/07/1970).
The second prehistoric pound, which is centred at SX5966469822, is larger and more complex than the first. It straddles a shallow north-facing valley and has a small enclosure on its north-west side which atops the westerly valley slope.
The main enclosure is vaguely circular being 85.0 metres in diameter, formed by a partly single and partly double wall 0.5 metres high. There is an extension wall to the north 22.0 metres long which probably originally extended to the river, but has since been partly destroyed by tin workings. There are a number of large breaks in the boundary wall; some are modern, but those at SX 5963069830 and SX 5965769839 may be original; (the latter on the valley floor gives access to the river). Another possibly original break is at SX 5962069799 beside a hut circle.
There are seven hut circles within the main enclosure and an eighth 10.0 metres outside the wall to the south. This latter circle is a 4.5 metre diameter double stone wall 0.5 metres high with a north-east entrance-gap, but with no door-posts. Four of the hut circles at SX 5964069836, SX 5970269833, SX 5967169813 and SX 5966269764 are 5.0 metres in diameter with double stone walls 0.5 metres high and south to south-east facing entrances. The circle at SX 5967169813 has one remaining door-post. The other three hut circles are approximately 4.0 metres in diameter and 0.3 metres high with south to south-east entrances.
The small enclosure to the west is sub-traingular and is defined by a single stone perimeter 40.0 metres long and 30.0 metres wide. The entrance appears to have been at SX 5962669831, with a possible second at SX 5965869846. The only hut circle in this enclosure is at SX 5962369867 and is 4.5 metres in diameter and 0.5 metres high with an entrance-gap in the south side.
Surveyed at 1:10,560 and 1:1250. See illustration card.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 138-9 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133255, 19/5/1993 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(SX59596985) Agglomerate enclosure straddling a shallow north-facing valley overlooking Newleycombe Lake. Composed of three conjoined enclosures defined by a partly faced rubble wall measuring 1.5 metres wide and up to 0.5 metres high.
Interior of the southern enclosure measures 80 metres north-south by 90 metres east-west and the north-west enclosure, which is sub-triangular in shape, measures 44 metres north-south by 37 metres east-west. The original dimensions of the third enclosure are no longer discernible following later tin streamworking which has removed part of its extent. There are three gaps in the boundary which may represent original entrances, though it is possible that they may be the result of limited post-medieval stone robbing.
Three stone hut circles lie within the largest enclosure, three further examples are attached to the inner face of the boundary and one is linked to the same wall. Another hut is linked to the sub-triangular enclosure boundary wall.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 64-65, Map 47, Figure 47.2 (Monograph). SDV137656.

A pair of thin-walled enclosures near the junction of the first major west bank tributary.Settlement 'A' the larger enclosure was laid out around a natural hollow in the hillside but streamworks have caused some loss of the lower part. Also attributed to the tinners is the leat winding across the interior and the isolated bury within the northern part of the enclosure. Ten heather covered huts all of similar size (3.4 to 4.3 metres diameter) can be identified.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA161 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA161.

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

(01/08/2006) Large Enclosure centred at SX 5965 6980 An enclosed, prehistoric settlement containing seven Hut Circles with an additional three Hut Circles situated outside of the enclosure wall to the southeast. Placed on a gentle, north facing slope within a natural hollow it is 85 m in diameter and is located directly south of Drivage Bottom Stream. Attached to the north side of the enclosure is what appears to be a smaller, sub triangular enclosure containing one Hut Circle. At the conjunction of these two enclosures is the remains of an unlikely Hut Circle, a circular mound with a central pit, which bears more resemblance to a disturbed cairn. Another stretch of walling located to the northeast of the large enclosure and the east of the smaller enclosure may indicate a further enclosure. Cut through the centre of the settlement is a leat, which measures 0.8 m wide and 0.1 m deep. See related records for hut details.

Newman, P., 2007, Cramber Tor Training Area Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV348210.

Probert, S., 2008, Follow-Up Works to Cramber Tor Archaeological Baseline Condition Survey, Dartmoor Training Area (Report - Survey). SDV351304.

Greeves, T., 2012, Cramber Tor Training Area. Monument Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350251.

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

Probert, S. A. J., 2017, A Condition Survey of the Archaeological Sites of the Cramber Tor Training Area, Devon, 2017 (Report - Survey). SDV360392.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-DT19 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 12/07/2019. The enclosure is generally covered with tussock grass with an "avenue" of close cropped grass running across it roughly north to south. Overall condition good

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1009093 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes an agglomerated enclosure, ten stone hut circles, a round cairn, a pillow mound, a number of tinworking earthworks and a length of leat straddling a shallow north-facing valley overlooking Newleycombe Lake. The enclosure is composed of three conjoined enclosures defined by a partly faced rubble wall measuring 1.5 metres wide and up to 0.5 metres high. The interior of the southern enclosure measures 80 metres north to south by 90 metres east to west and the north western enclosure, which is sub-triangular in shape, measures 44 metres north to south by 37 metres east to west. The original dimensions of the third enclosure are no longer discernible following later tin streamworking which has removed part of its extent. There are three gaps in the boundaries which may represent original entrances, although it is possible that they may be the result of limited post-medieval stone robbing. Three stone hut circles lie within the largest enclosure, three further examples are attached to the inner face of the boundary and another is linked to this same wall. Another hut is linked to the sub-triangular enclosure boundary wall. The two remaining huts lie immediately south of the enclosures and are not enclosed in any way. The stone hut circles are composed of stone and earth banks each surrounding an internal area. Nine of the huts are circular in plan, and their internal diameters vary between 2.5 metres and 5.2 metres. The height of the surrounding walls varies between 0.4 metres and 0.7 metres. The interior of the remaining hut is oval in plan, measures 3.5 metres long by 2 metres wide and is surrounded by a 1.1 metres wide and 0.4 metres high wall. Four of the huts possess visible doorways.Within the enclosure a tinners gully measures 2.5 metres wide and up to 1.7 metres deep. A leat cutting through the centre of the large enclosure measures 0.8 metres wide and 0.1 metres deep and the associated bank of material upcast downslope during construction is 1 metre wide and 0.1 metres high.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• 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
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8711 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area

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