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Summary

Round cairn measuring 4.5 metres north-east to south-west by 3.9 metres north-west to south-east, standing up to 0.2 metres high. Surrounding the perimeter of the mound is a ring of nine stones with a maximum height of 0.8 metres. The centre of the cairn has been partially excavated to reveal a cist orientated north to south. The interior of the cist measures 1.2 metres long by 0.55 metres wide and 0.45 metres deep.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007423: Round cairn 380m NNW of Sharpitor summit

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: [SX57SE97]
• National Monuments Record: SX57SE48
• National Record of the Historic Environment: [440303]
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440164
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/30
• Old SAM County Ref: 830
• Old SAM Ref: 22284

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• CIST (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. N., 1894, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 3., 302-3 (Article in Serial). SDV234309.

Worth, R. H., 1923, 42nd Report of the Barrow Committee, 55 (Article in Serial). SDV272438.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 296 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE48 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272436.

A cairn with retaining circle 4.5 metres in diameter which is clearly marked to eastern extreme by three prominent stones, still in a standing position and to the west and north by small turf-covered stones. Cairn is 0.3 metres high. Condition good (26/8/1950).

Fox, A., 1953, 20th Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon, 177 (Article in Serial). SDV223412.

Dixon, C. E. B., 1953, 71st Report of the Barrow Committee, 177 (Article in Serial). SDV272443.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 214 (Monograph). SDV231148.

Birkett Dixon, C. E., 1956, 72nd Report on Barrows, 222-3, plate 28, figure 1 (Article in Serial). SDV272437.

A cairn, with an 11 feet 6 inch diameter cairn circle, containing a cist of which one end stone and the cover stone is missing (Plan).

Ancient Monuments, 1970, Round cairn 380 metres north-north-west of Sharpitor summit, 22/9/1970 (Schedule Document). SDV272425.

At the north-east end of the stone row is a barrow circle encircling a retaining stone cist. The circle consists of 12 uprights. Inside the circle is the remains of a mound, now maximum 0.3 metres high, and in the centre of this is a stone cist, of which the north side stone and the cap stone are missing.

Davidson, C. + Seabrook, R., 1973, Stone Rings on south-east Dartmoor, p.39, (Sharpitor/3) (Article in Serial). SDV345864.

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

(Visited 25/4/1973, Grinsell and Mercer) (29/5/1976) Oval cairn with retaining ring enclosing cist placed south-south-east by north-north-west. Northern slab missing. Stone row is aligned on but stops short of it. Diameter 4.4 metres by 3.6 metres (axis west-east).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE48 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV219202.

(23/05/1980) A despoiled cairn with diameters of 4.5m. north-east to south-west, and 3.9m from north-west to south-east with a maximum height of 0.1m. Nine stones of a retaining circle are traceable, of which
five are virtually at ground level (see 1:100 plan). A cist, slightly off centre and oriented north-north-west to south-south-east, measures 1.1m. by 0.4m. internally and is 0.3m. deep. It is as planned by Birkett Dixon (see ground photographs)
Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE96 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV226487.

SX 55787067 Barrow. (citing Devon Sites and Monuments Register).
(20/05/1980) No barrow or cairn can be seen in the vicinity of the Register siting and it may be a duplication of the cairn 50.0m. to the east (SX 57 SE 48).

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 National Monuments Record or Royal Air Force aerial photographs.

Gibson, A. M. Dr., 1988, Sharpitor Stone Row survey details, Surveyed at 1:100 (Worksheet). SDV272419.

(15/6/1988) This retaining circle appears to act as the eastern terminal of stone row MDV3762.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 47, 76/E41 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform circle. Ring of orthoptist 3.3 metres in diameter internally around flat-topped cairn 0.2 metres high. Cairn contains a central cist. One or two stones in the ring stand well above the others.

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

Round cairn measuring 4.5 metres north-east by south-west by 3.9 metres north-west by south-east and stands up to 0.2 metres high. Surrounding the perimeter of the mound is a ring of nine stones, forming a kerb with a maximum height of 0.8 metres. The centre of the cairn has been partially excavated to reveal a cist orientated north-south. The interior of the cist measures 1.2 metres long by 0.55 metres wide and 0.45 metres deep.
This cairn is the focal point of two stone rows that terminate 65 metres to the west-south-west of the mound.

Turton, S. D., 1993, Archaeological Assessment of SWW Dousland to Rundlestone Water Main, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV249910.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 45-6, Map 45, Figure 45.8 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Sharpitor N cairn at SX55837068 of 4.0 metres diameter by 0.2 metres high with a cist. Neat little retaining circle with cist 76 metres downslope (north-east) of the pair of stone rows. Appears to be unrelated. The structure has been badly damaged but two taller pillars still stand in place around the slight remains of the mound, together with several much smaller stones. The cist's western side slab has fractured midway, perhaps at the time of its disturbance, and one of the end stones as well as the cover slab has disappeared. If continued on the same alignment the double stone row would have passed 6 metres to the north of it and the single row considerably more.

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

(15/05/2007) A damaged cairn with a cist, on average 3.8 m in diameter with in-situ retaining boulders and slabs. The remains of the cist in the irregular stony spread comprise two upright slabs 0.4m high. Located just off the hillcrest on a slight north-east facing slope it is partially hidden by gorse and moorland grass. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

'Cairn and cist' is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 18/08/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

This monument includes a round cairn situated on a gentle north-east facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Meavy. The cairn mound measures 4.5m north-east to south-west by 3.9m north-west to south-east and stands up to 0.2m high. Surrounding the perimeter of the mound is a ring of nine stones with a maximum height of 0.8m. The centre of the cairn has been partially excavated to reveal a cist orientated north to south. The interior of the cist measures 1.2m long by 0.55m wide and 0.45m deep.
Despite evidence for partial excavation, the round cairn 380m NNW of Sharpitor summit survives well and contains archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. The cairn forms a focal point for two stone alignments and is an important constituent part of a diverse group of monuments including contemporary settlements, field systems and other funerary sites.

Newman, P., 2019, An Archaeological Survey of an area of Walkhampton Common, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, Appendix, Figures 4a, 6 & 9 (Report - Survey). SDV363478.

A very ruinous round cairn with central cist and some stones of a retaining circle on the north-west slope of Sharpitor, close by the B3212. Although part of a group of ritual monuments at this location, including two stone rows, this monument does not serve as a terminal for either. Three sides of the cist remain approximately in situ, including a single slab of 1.38 metres long on the east side. The west side comprises two separate stones, or a larger stone now fractured, and a single short slab forms the south side. The northern end is missing, as is the cover slab. The internal measurement is 0.99 metres by 0.59 metres. Ten earthfast stones of a retaining circle survive around the periphery of the cairn, of which two retain an approximately upright or slightly leaning position. Very little of the cairn material survives but the circumference of the spread is just about visible giving a diameter of approximately 4 metres.

Newman, P., 2019, Walkhampton Common Survey data (GIS and Excel Spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV363701.

Cairn with cist shown on survey.

Edwards, M. + Trick, S., 2021, An Archaeological magnetometer and resistance survey Goadstone Pool North (site B) and South (site C) Stone Rows, 7, figs 2-5 (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV365149.

The survey in 2021 was successful in detecting and locating anomalies of possible and likely archaeological origin, but was unable to ascertain whether the stone rows continue north-east towards cairn MDV3769, although possible anomalies may indicate buried stones, including one close to the eastern cairn. A likely ditch was identified at the western cairn; the results from the eastern cairn were inconclusive.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8225 - Survey of an area of Walkhampton CommonSurvey of an area of Walkhampton Common
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8849 - Geophysical survey of the Goadstone Pool Stone Rows (Ref: 2010DAR(B,C)-R-1)

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