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Summary

One of two Bronze Age cairns and a short stone row are recorded on the lower slopes of Leeden Tor. These three features are now under fairly dense gorse vegetation. This (upper) cairn is in poor shape (2007) with little more than half the mound in situ around the central cist. The surviving stones of the outer ring are now flat; the coverstone and southern end slab of the cist have gone.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007430: Round cairn 690m north-east of Sharpitor summit

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE45
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440155
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/18
• Old SAM County Ref: 940A
• Old SAM Ref: 22267

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1947, 66th Report of the Barrow Committee, 31-2, plate 2 (Article in Serial). SDV16898.

One of two cairns. Cairn A; a cairn containing the remains of a cist. The cairn is 18 feet in diameter and 3 feet high with the remains of a cairn circle. The cist has one end stone and its cover missing (Plan).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE45, Cairn A (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272868.

(25/4/1950) One of two cairns between Princetown Road and the extreme western angle of enclosure of Stanlake Farm.
Cairn A: measures 7.3m in diameter, 1.0m high. A very fine cairn with kist 1.4m by 0.6m by 0.35m deep, exposed in centre. Cairn much despoiled at western side but remains undisturbed on east side. Stones of retaining circle are plainly visible. Kist lies north-west by south-east and latter end stone is missing. Cover stone has been removed and lies to west corner and is earthbound along one edge. There is a large stone and a number of smaller ones which are set into the floor of kist, and which are immovable.

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

(07/09/1972) Cairn with traces of retaining circle, removed from south-west, exposing cist placed south-south-east by north-north-west; southern slab missing. Short stone row descends to the south. Diameter 7.5 metres, height 0.9 metres. Cairn is one of two on the north-east slope of Sharpitor.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE45 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272863.

Cairn A: A cairn measuring 7.2m in diameter and 1.0m in height with a few retaining stones around the perimeter (see ground photograph). The cairn has been dug away on the southwest side towards the centre, exposing a cist 1.4m long internally, 0.6m wide and 0.4m deep. Cairns and row positioned on 1:10 000 MSD, the row conventionalized.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV345762.

Visited 19/1/1983.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force 1946 aerial photographs.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 1992 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Round cairn 10 metres in diameter, 0.8 metres high. A few retaining stones visible around the perimeter of the mound indicating the presence of a kerb which survives largely as a buried feature. South-west side of cairn has been partially excavated to reveal a cist orientated north-north-west by south-south-east. Interior of cist measures 1.4 metres long, 0.6 metres wide and 0.4 metres deep.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 47, Map 45, Figure 45.10 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Leeden Tor S '2' cairn at SX56427085 of 8.0 metres diameter by 1.0 metres high with a cist. Two Bronze Age cairns on the lower slopes of Leeden Tor. The upper cairn is a poor condition, with little more than half the mound still present around the central cist. The cover slab and south end stone have gone and all 6 or 7 remaining members of the outer ring are now flat. The lower cairn retains a good shape despite a shallow central pit and much of its structure is intact. The OS map shows a stone row descending from its southern edge but the blocks here appear to be no more artificially arranged than many others scattered over the hillside.

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

(15/05/2007) Two Bronze Age cairns and a short stone row are recorded on the lower slopes of Leeden Tor. These three features are now under fairly dense gorse vegetation. This (upper) cairn is in poor shape with little more than half the mound in situ around the central cist. The surviving stones of the outer ring are now flat; the coverstone and southern end slab of the cist have gone. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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