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Summary

Unenclosed stone hut circle settlement comprising 31 stone hut circles, an irregular aggregate field system, a length of the Walkhampton Common reave, a number of post-medieval stone quarries and an enclosure containing two further stone hut circles and a military shelter. Thirty of the unenclosed huts are circular in plan and measure between 1.2m and 8m in diameter. The remaining hut is oval and measures 2.7m long by 2m wide. The walls are composed of stone and earth, measuring between 0.2m and 0.8m high. The average diameter is 3.22m.The stone hut settlement is distributed within an irregular aggregated field system which is divided in two by a 16m gap. The western part is attached to Walkhampton Common reave and contains eight field plots defined by a rubble bank 2m wide and up to 0.5m high. The eastern half includes at least four field plots. The enclosure containing 2two stone hut circles measures 74m north east to south west by 32m north west to south east and is defined by a low rubble wall 0.7m wide and 0.3m high. The northern hut circle has an internal diameter of 2.5m defined by a rubble wall 1.3m wide and 0.35m high. The southern hut is 2.7m in diameter with a surrounding wall 1.3m wide and 0.35m high. Both huts have doorways facing east. A drystone structure sits on top of the northern length of the enclosure boundary. The building is oval in plan and is thought to be associated with military training.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1008671: An unenclosed stone hut circle settlement, an irregular aggregate field system, a length of reave and an enclosure on the south east slope of Leeden Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE92
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440288
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/7
• Old SAM Ref: 22265

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• AGGREGATE FIELD SYSTEM (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• UNENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 02/07/1964, F61 58 6399, 44-45 (Aerial Photograph). SDV262020.

Photograph taken on 2nd July 1964.

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

Some hut circles and enclosures shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE92 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV257759.

(25/08/1950) At SX56457105 a group of 12 hut circles and the site of another seven of these are shown on the Ordnance Survey 6 inch map plus the site of one more. The group of six hut circles to the east are incorporated and embraced by a 'pound' or 'enclosure' of very irregular pattern.

National Monument Record, 1976, SX5671 (Aerial Photograph). SDV268537.

Visible on photograph taken on 8th April 1976.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE92 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV257731.

(04/08/1980) Centred at SX 56437103 is a settlement of twenty-five huts covering 3.1. ha. of a south and east hillslope at about 361m O.D. The area is broken up by erosion runnels, quantities of surface clitter which thins out towards the south and east, and small surface quarries and military slit trenches.
The huts are mostly of Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19) with levelled interiors whose diameters range from 2.0m. to 5.2m.
Entrances occur in the south and south-east (see plan). There are three huts of Type 2 (SX 56 NE 71). These, (A, B and C on plan), have internal diameter from 4.2m. to 6.2m. The width of walling about 1.0m., and the height, 0.5m., is common to all the huts.
Some huts are in open ground but the majority, and both types, are linked by irregular low rubble walls averaging 1.0m. wide and 0.3m. high. This walling forms plots of varied plan and size (from 120 to 1200 square metres) In some instances walling continues through the clitter, in others it ends on dense patches. There seems to have been no real attempt at clearance (see ground photograph).
The settlement appears to be later in date than the Walkhampton Common Reave which forms the north-west boundary save for one plot abutting the far side of the reave. The south east extremity of the settlement has been destroyed by a modern road, beyond which there are no identifiable remains.
Settlement surveyed at 1:10 000 on M.S.D. and at 1:2500.

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

Two enclosures, both of them agglomerated, together with substantial lengths of wall. Five freestanding hut circles are visible together with two hut circles attached to each other. A further twenty hut circles are visible attached to enclosure walls.

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

Situated within an irregular aggregate field system. Part of unenclosed settlement.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 36-37, Map 45, Figure 45.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Settlement 'C' at Leeden Tor south is sited on stony ground with the irregularly shaped enclosures little more than clearings within the clitter, with unwanted stone piled into low banks linking many of the 22 small huts together.
The apparently random plan of this settlement east of the boundary reave is quite different in design and construction to its neighbour . Sited on very stony ground the irregularly shaped enclosures are little more than clearings within the clitter, with unwanted stone piled into low banks linking many of the 22 huts together. Except for one hut in the east which is 5.8 m in diameter all are exceptionally small (2.5 - 3.9m) though some have features typical of larger buildings such as doorposts and one appears to have and even smaller annexe. the are enclosed was undoubtably more extensive originally and continued below the road.

Fletcher, M. J., 2007-2008, Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV359195.

(11/05/2007) This very ragged settlement lies on a rounded hillslope amidst dense clitter in places. The small huts and fragmentary walling are becoming increasingly difficult to trace in deep moorland grass, gorse and bracken vegetation. The enclosure on the north-east is however well defined. The 'military hut' is being remodelled by visitors into a circular structure. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Much of the settlement visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

Settlement shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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