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Summary

Ruined post-medieval tinner's hut of 5.8 metres by 3.2 metres with walls 1.2 metres wide by 0.8 metres high. Excavation in 1905 suggested this building was built over hut circle as the finds included prehistoric artefacts

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1011568: A stone hut circle forming part of an unenclosed settlement, and tinners' building at Watern Oke

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440649
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SE/16/59
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SE/35
• Old SAM County Ref: 488
• Old SAM Ref: 20363
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX58SE25
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX58SE9

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) HUT CIRCLE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• TINNERS HUT (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Anderson, I. K., 1906, 11th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 113, hut 80 (Article in Serial). SDV337055.

One of a group of hut circles at Watern Oke. Hut 80; this hut seems to have been rebuilt at some period and probably was never circular. A very large stone at least 3 feet thick and 13 feet in length, monopolises the internal space. A corroded piece of iron was found (possibly a modern knife) also a large rubbing stone, pottery and a very good arrow head point.

Le Messurier, B., 1979, Post-Prehistoric Structures of Central North Dartmoor. A Field Survey, 70 (Article in Serial). SDV269283.

SX 57058345. On the right bank of the River Tavy is a hut in clitter; internally it measures 3.4 m by 5.5 m. A large in situ boulder occupies much of the floor space. Tin streaming nearby.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX58SE25, SX58SE25 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV268704.

(02/10/1970) SX 56968341. The building remains are as described by Le Messurier (1979) and in good condition, the drystone rubble walling being 0.7 m wide and 0.9 m high, with an entrance gap in the north east. It was probably associated with tin streaming, evidence of which is centred at SX 571833 (extent shown on 1:10 000), but adapted from a prehistoric hut, and excavated in 1905 (a). The report considered it to have been rebuilt from a hut that was originally probably not circular. Although a large stone occupied much of the interior several finds were made including a corroded piece or iron (possibly a 'modern' knife), a large rubbing stone, pottery and a very good arrowhead. The hut was excavated as part of the Watern Oke group (SX 58 SE 9) and numbered 80 on the 1905 plan.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD. see ground photograph.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force verticals.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 123916 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Tinners' building composed of a drystone wall, 1.2m wide and 0.8m high, surrounding an internal area of 5.8m long by 3.2m wide. A large earthfast boulder lies in the centre of the room and the doorway faces east. The building probably dates to the Medieval or post-Medieval period.
During 1905 this building was partially excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee. This work strongly suggested that it was built on top of an earlier stone hut circle, because finds included a large rubbing stone, pottery and a flint arrowhead. A corroded piece of iron also found in this structure was probably a knife contemporary with the later tinners' building.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 109-110, Map 33, Figure 33.1 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Roughly rectangular building '5' suggested by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee to be a rebuilt hut circle as the 1905 excavations recovered prehistoric artefacts including a whetstone, pottery and a flint arrowhead. The structure is probably a tinners' hut built opposite the first of the streamworks along the River Tavy. A piece of corroded iron was perhaps the remains of a knife belonging to this later period.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(02/08/1995) SX56978341. The remains of a large relatively well-preserved rectangular building lies in the midst of a clitter stream above the right bank of the River Tavy some 500m E of Watern Oke. The structure is oriented N to S and is as described by Authorities 1 and 2. Its former function is, however, somewhat enigmatic. Though resembling a tinners hut it lies well away from any tinworking remains, the nearest being 100m upstream. It is more likely to represent a shepherds dwelling. Several similar sites (SX 58 SE 10, 22, 23 and 27) are apparent on the upper reaches of the Tavy and its tributaries.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(21/08/2003) This feature remains as described in 1995 and is in a stable condition.

English Heritage, 2005, Survey Information (miscellaneous date) (Report - Survey). SDV345855.

Three sides of a rectilinear feature shown on survey.

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

Visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

'Tinners Hut (remains of)' shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5920 - POLISHER (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD?)
• FDV5922 - ARROWHEAD (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• FDV5921 - SHERD (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC to 42 AD?)
• FDV5923 - KNIFE? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1750 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV7620 - Okehampton Artillary Range
• 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

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