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Summary

An agglomerate, enclosed hut settlement on the slopes of Legis Tor, comprising six chronologically distinct attached enclosures and eleven internal hut circles plus numerous enclosed plots and sub-divisions. Surveyed in 2022.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019876: Prehistoric settlement, three round cairns and a post-medieval rabbit warren at Legis Tor

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/4
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/4/4
• Old SAM County Ref: 274
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 22289
• Old SAM Ref: 10696

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

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

'Hut Circles' shown on 19th century map as a large enclosure with two small divisions in the south and ten interior hut circles.

Les Ages Prehistoriques de L'Espagne Et Du Portugal: Resultats D Une Mission Scientifique, 1886, Les Ages Prehistoriques de L'Espagne Et Du Portugal: Resultats D Une Mission Scientifique (Monograph). SDV260616.

Siret, H. + Siret, L., 1887, Les Memoirs Ages du Metal Dans le Sud-Est de l'Espagne (Monograph). SDV260615.

Baring Gould, S., 1896, Third Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 179 plate 1 (Article in Serial). SDV260468.

Legis Tor. A beautifully worked tool was found in one of the hut circles. Purpose uncertain. Rubbed into shape, and was found with a stone on which it was presumably fabricated. It was being pierced from both sides with a hole for suspension, but was never completed. Such stones have been found in great numbers in Spain. Baring-Gould refers to the works of Cartailhac and the Siret brothers, who exhumed as many as thirty deposits of copper tools weapons between Carthagena and Almeria.

Baring Gould, S., 1896, Third Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 183-9 (Article in Serial). SDV260468.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Enclosure' shown on early 20th century map with ten interior hut circles.

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 353-354/plan (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

Good description of the site after 1895-6 excavations given.

Curwen, E. C., 1927, Prehistoric Agriculture in Britain, 281-286 (Article in Serial). SDV173835.

Piggott, S., 1931, The Neolithic Pottery of the British Isles, 90, 92 (Article in Serial). SDV135840.

Brailsford, J. W., 1938, Bronze Age Stone Monuments of Dartmoor, 454, 461 (Article in Serial). SDV304210.

Worth, R. H., 1943, The Prehistoric Pounds of Dartmoor, 285 (Article in Serial). SDV320337.

Legis Tor, an ancient village. A complex of drystone walled enclosures containing at least 12 huts on the north bank of the river plym. Huts range from 3 to 8m in diameter. Stones 2m thick standing 1-2m high. Lower enclosure has been cleared of stones and cultivated but not ploughed. The principal dwelling appears to be Hut 4 in enclosure A. The complex is of several periods of construction. The entrances cannot be determined. Excavated 1895. Condition fair, good in places.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2494, 3131-23131-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV147533.

Griffiths, W. E., 1950, Unknown tile, 63-66 (Article in Serial). SDV258032.

Fox, A., 1950, Unknown title, 167-8 (Article in Serial). SDV258033.

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1952 /1953, Prehistoric Settlements on Dartmoor and the Cornish Moors, 61-63,78-80, plan 62 (Article in Serial). SDV337080.

Large enclosures of 4.5 acres added to a small nucleus. Formed of four enclosures. Ten huts within or adjacent to the pound varying in internal diameter 4.3m - 6.4m. No accumulation of soil on lower side of enclosure. Excavated huts produced hearths, cooking holes, and one spindle whorl of baked clay.

Fox, A., 1964, South West England: 3,500BC-AD600, 86-7 (Monograph). SDV135818.

Cambridge University, 1967, CUC/AQX, 45 (Aerial Photograph). SDV355237.

National Monuments Record, 1976, SX5765 (Aerial Photograph). SDV155850.

National Monuments Record, 1976, SX5765, 4/16-18 (Aerial Photograph). SDV155850.

National Monuments Record, 1976, SX5765, 5/25-27 (Aerial Photograph). SDV155850.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56NE69 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV258036.

(27/06/1977) The Legis Tor settlement is situated on a southerly slope above the River Plym at 250-270 m OD. It consists of a complex of five enclosures, of which A is clearly the primary one.
There are huts within the enclosures and outside. The overall dimensions of the complex are 150m north-south and 200m west-east, covering an area of approximately 3.0 hectares. The enclosure walling is double-faced with rubble infill; thickness 1.2 to 1.6m. The 15 huts are mainly of Type 2 (Type site SX 56 NE 71) and ruinous; four are incorporated into the walling of the enclosures. Their average internal diameter is 5.1m, the largest being 7.0m and the smallest 4.0m. There is also a number of small yards sometimes adjacent to the larger huts, which were possibly stock pens. In six of the huts the entrance is visible, all on the south or south south west side. The enclosure wall on the south west appears to deviate from its logical course to avoid the hut outside the settlement. There is evidence of clearance for cultivation in all the enclosures, and on the lower edges of some there is a soil build-up forming a lynchet against the walls.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Balaam, N. D. + Smith, K. + Wainwright, G. J., 1982, The Shaugh Moor Project: Fourth Report - Environment, Context and Conclusion, 242-4 258 fig 20 (Article in Serial). SDV145845.

Agglomerated enclosure indicating prolonged occupation. Original enclosure has two huts, later the four enclosures enclose eleven houses though excluded a single house in west side which was only later linked to the enclosures by nub walls. Later a number of houses in the central enclosure were incorporated into an internal sub-enclosure. The original enclosure was the smallest and the second addition the largest. Enclosure walls internalised by later additions were only partly removed with a Prehistoric tin industry.

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

Agglomerated enclosure of four major and seven minor elements. Nine hut circles freestanding within various elements. Ten hut circles attached to internal walls. Two hut circles attached to exterior wall of enclosure.

Price, D. G., 1985, Changing Perceptions of Prehistoric Tinning on Dartmoor, 129-138 (Article in Serial). SDV215975.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1985, The Archaeology of Dartmoor from the Air, plate 13 (Monograph). SDV337812.

Fleming, A., 1987, Prehistoric Tin Extraction on Dartmoor: A Cautionary Note, 117-122 (Article in Serial). SDV215976.

Price, D. G., 1988, Prehistoric Tin Extraction on Dartmoor: A Reply to Andrew Fleming (Article in Serial). SDV215977.

91-95

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130822 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(22/02/1993) Agglomerate enclosure forming part of an extensive prehistoric settlement there are 6 distinct enclosed areas each defined by a rubble wall. The order of their construction can be easily determined, and these enclosures are described below in chronological order.
The earliest enclosure (A) SX 56966 65186, measures 42 metres north-south by 35 metres east-west. Two stone hut circles are attached to the enclosure boundary wall.
The second enclosure (B) SX 56928 65205, is attached to A (on west side) and measures 96 metres north-south by 65 metres east-west. Two stone hut circles lie within the enclosure and a further one is linked to the boundary wall.
The third enclosure (C) SX 56995 65259, is attached to A and B (on north side) and measures 135 metres north-south by 107 metres east-west. Seven stone hut circles lie within the enclosure and a further five are linked to the boundary wall.
The fourth enclosure (D) SX 57024 65195 lies in the south-east corner of C and measures 33 metres north-south by 42 metres east-west. Five stone hut circles are linked to the boundary wall.
The fifth enclosure (E) SX 57070 65227 is attached to the outer face of C and measures 70 metres north-south by 53 metres east-west.
The final enclosure (F) SX 57058 65276 is attached to the outer faces of C and E (to north-east), and measures 45 metres north-south by 40 metres east-west.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 111-114, Map 49, Figure 49.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Settlement 'A' at Legis Tor is a complex multiple site with six additions to the core enclosure, and the outer boundary around the huts was then later reinforced There seems to have been a further large extension westwards in the direction of Legis Lake, bounded by a 100 metre wall turning up towards the Tor where the remainder of the circuit has probably become buried. Ten of the fifteen identifiable huts were excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1895 and 1896 as well as the isolated building 150 metres to the north-west.

Probert, S., 2005, Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV363484.

Probert, S. A. J., 2010, A Condition Survey of the Archaeological Sites of Ringmoor, Dartmoor Training Area (Report - Survey). SDV360517.

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

Visible on aerial photograph.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Ringmoor Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361636.

(05/12/2017) A field system of eight attached enclosures and containing 13 hut circles occupies an area of 6 hectares on the lower south and south-west flanks of Legis Tor. Condition is fair, site is stable.

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

Settlement shown on modern mapping with six adjoining enclosures containing 13 hut circles and four pillow mounds

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1019876 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes an extensive prehistoric settlement situated on the south facing side of Legis Tor overlooking the valley of the River Plym. The prehistoric settlement includes a series of enclosures situated along the lower slopes of Legis Tor, 58 associated stone hut circles and several lengths of boundary wall. The largest enclosure is agglomerate and includes six distinct enclosed areas each defined by a rubble wall standing up to 3 metres wide and 1 metre high. The overall dimensions of this enclosure are 135 metres north to south by 200 metres east to west. Lengths of field boundary lead west, north and east from the enclosure towards other enclosures and stone hut circles. Nineteen stone hut circles lie within this enclosure; of these, two are free standing, whilst the remainder are attached to enclosure boundaries. The stone hut circles survive as banks of stone and earth surrounding circular internal areas which vary between 2.5 metres and 7 metres. The heights of the surrounding walls vary between 0.3 metres and 1 metre. Eight of the huts have visible doorways and two have porches. Eight huts were partly excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee during 1895. This work revealed that the floors were level, the upper part unpaved and formed by the subsoil, the lower part generally made up and paved. In several huts there was a stone hearth, generally associated with a cooking hole, many of which contained substantial pottery sherds. It has been suggested that at least some of the pottery is of Neolithic date, although recent work supports an Early Bronze Age date. Rounded cooking stones, many of them splintered by the action of the fire, were found in considerable numbers. Other artefacts recovered from the huts included coarsely chipped flint flakes and scrapers, a triangular polished stone and a broken spindle whorl.

Newman, P., 2022, Ringmoor Down Premier Archaeological Landscape Dartmoor National Park, Devon. A new survey, Table 1 (Report - Survey). SDV365490.

An agglomerate hut settlement on the SW slopes of Legis Tor. SX 56989 65225
An agglomerate, enclosed hut settlement on the SW slopes of Legis Tor, comprising six chronologically distinct attached enclosures and eleven internal hut circles plus numerous enclosed plots and sub-divisions. The enclosures were, in more recent times, transected by two industrial leats and five pillow mounds associated with Legistor Warren were imposed onto the interior of the settlement. The walls of the main enclosure were constructed from moorstone boulders in a variety of sizes, with an inner and outer face. Some stretches of these facings survive in situ but where collapsed the alignment of the ruined masonry is still very visible within the spread of the tumbled stone. The walls were between 1.3m and 1.5m thick and up to 1.2m high in places, and the space between the faces was probably packed with masonry and earth. In their ruined state the walls are now spread up to 6m. The primary central enclosure (A) on the southern end covers 0.17ha and has a large hut circle (50659) built into its northern wall. This hut probably formed the nucleus of the entire settlement. It is one of the largest in the settlement, with an internal diameter of 9.1m, thick walls of 2.1m and an entrance on the south site with two granite door post upright and in situ. Onto this enclosure, a second enclosure (B) of 0.45ha was added on the west side, which contains one free standing hut circle (50662). The third phase (C) comprises a circuit extending from the northern wall of the second enclosure (B), forming a large loop enclosing 0.98ha, to join the east side of enclosure A. Enclosure C contains seven hut circles (50665; 50666; 50670; 50675; 50676; 50677; 50678) including three connected by an additional sub-dividing wall. Enclosure D is an approximate rectangle, which partitioned off 0.09ha in the SE corner of C. This enclosure has two hut circles built into its northern wall (50667; 50668). The enclosed space was later augmented by the addition of enclosure E (0.31ha) attached to C on the east side of the settlement and finally enclosure F (0.12ha) bridging enclosures C and E. Other external additions were a small enclosure (G), attached to the east side of E, and a hut with small enclosure (50631) attached to the west side of enclosure B. This may have pre-existed the enclosure walls. Internal features include a number of pens or small huts attached to the enclosure walls (including 50653; 50660; 50663; 50664; 50669; 50671; 50673) some of which were less enduring structures with slight walls and may have been later additions of uncertain date. Of the eleven certain hut circles, ten were excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1895. Although ruined and disturbed all were robust structures, with inner and outer wall faces, much evidence of which survives in situ. Where measurable, the wall thickness is up to 1.2m on average, and the floors have been levelled into the slope. Entrances survive on four of the huts, all on the southern side, three of which have paired door posts surviving in situ. Surveyed at 1:1000 scale using GPS, April 2022.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV3014 - TOOL (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC)
• FDV8178 - SPINDLE WHORL (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Events

• EDV7443 - Condition survey of archaeological sites in Ringmoor Training Area
• EDV7569 - Condition survey of Ringmoor Down training area
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8917 - Survey of the archaeological features on Ringmoor Down

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