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Summary

Hut Circle '57' of 6.6 metres diameter with walls 1.2 metres wide by up to 0.8 metres high and a partly blocked doorway to the south at Watern Oke settlement. A boundary wall leads north from this structure. Excavations in 1905 revealed a fireplace against the north-west wall, a glass bead, six dozen cooking stones, pottery sherds and flints including two arrowheads.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SE/16/48
• Old SAM County Ref: 488
• Old SAM Ref: 20354(P)
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX58SE9

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2200 BC (Between) to 409 AD (Between))

Full description

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

One of a group of about 94 at Watern Oke. Hut 57; diameter 5.79m. Very good circle, number of stones fallen in, entrance to south, fireplace to north-west. Here the blue bead was found, about 70 cooking stones, fragments of pottery, in quantity, flint pieces, and two flint arrow points.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX58SE9, SX58SE9, Hut 57 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV232751.

One of a group of about 94 at Watern Oak. No description from 1950 visit.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 123920 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(1992) SX 56508335 Hut circle terraced into the hillslope. Simple plan and single orthostat type. The interior measures 6.6m in diameter and is defined by a 1.2m wide wall standing up to 0.8m high. The doorway is partly blocked and faces south. A boundary wall leads north from the northern edge of this structure.
Excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1905, this work revealed a fireplace against the north-west wall, a glass bead, six dozen cooking stones, pottery sherds and flints including two arrowheads. The glass bead in described as blue in colour and semi-opaque, measuring 1/2 inch long and 1/10 inch in diameter, with a hole through it longitudinally. The bead itself has been destroyed, but it is believed to have been of Romano-British date.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 101-102, Map 32, Figure 32.4 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Hut circle '6' of 5.8 metres diameter at 'Watern Oke West settlement'. Excavations in 1905 recovered a blue glass bead with a hole bored through the centre.

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

Hut circle shown on survey.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015 onwards, 2015 onward Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV362959.

Visible on the aerial photography.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV7522 - ARROWHEAD (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)
• FDV7523 - COOKING STONE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC?)
• FDV7524 - SHERD (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC?)
• FDV5852 - MELON BEAD (I to II - 43 AD to 200 AD?)

Associated Events

• 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

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