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Summary

Cairn with a cist to the east of Willings Walls reave. Cairn is 4.6 metres in diameter by 0.6 metres high with a second ring of boulders which may represent an inner kerb. The cist is 1.8 metres by 0.9 metres and 0.5 metres deep with an adjacent cover stone. The cist is aligned east to west.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012209: Cairn with a cist east of Willings Walls Reave

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE75
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438714
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/24
• Old SAM County Ref: 576
• Old SAM Ref: 10649

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Falcon, T. A., 1905, Dartmoor: A Note on Graves, 458 (Article in Serial). SDV255372.

Worth, R. H., 1932, 51st Report of the Barrow Committee, 115-117, plate 1, figs.1-3 (Article in Serial). SDV251255.

Willings Walls Warren. East of the reave which runs from Hentor Farm to Trowlesworthy and about 52m distant from it. A cist, all the stones being in position, but the end stones have fallen inwards. Its original size was approximately 4 feet 6 inches long, 2 feet 10 inches wide, the present depth being 2 feet 4 inches. The cover stone, which reaches a length of 7 feet 6 inches and width of 2 feet 4 inches, has been moved aside. A ruined retaining circle, originally about 10 feet in diameter, surrounds the cist.
(Cist measures 1.8m x 0.9m x 0.5m deep, coverstone 2.29m x 1.32m. Retaining circle measures 3.05m in diameter).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950-1978, SX56NE75 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV139641.

(02/06/1950) A large cist (Worth's dimensions are accurate; 1950). There are seven stones in the retaining circle, which are somewhat larger than usual and all standing. Position accurate as shown on the map.
(22/12/1978) On a slight north-west slope near a reave (see SX 56 SE 123) is the remains of a kerbed cairn with cist. The cairn is 4.6m in diameter and 0.6m high. Within the outer ring of stones is a second ring of boulders not shown on Worth's plan but which may represent an inner kerb.
The cist is 1.8m by 0.9m and 0.5m deep with an adjacent cover stone. The cist is aligned east to west. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 163, Shaugh Prior 25 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(04/09/1975) Traces of cairn with retaining circle of large slabs, enclosing massive cist placed east-south-east by west-north-west, capstone to north-east. Diameter 4.5m, height 0.2m.

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

Not visible on 1946 aerial photographs.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 47, 48, 76/E36 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform circle. Ring of kerb stones, 3.5m internal diameter, enclosing flat-topped cairn 0.2m high with central cist. Cist with capstone protrudes 0.5m above cairn.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 165, Map 51, Figure 51.7 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Willings Walls Cairn '2' at SX58266522 of 4.0 metres diameter by 0.2 metres high with a cist. Four massive slabs frame the cist which was about 1.4 metres long before the end stones collapsed inwards. The large capstone remains partly supported on one of the side slabs. Eight stones of the retaining circle of 4.0 metres in diameter remain though are now flat or nearly so.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Cairn shown on survey.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UPHT-17 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(18/11/2019) Condition assessed as very good; some slight vegetation encroachment threatening feature. This cairn / cist matches HER description above, a very impressive cist with cover stone leaning on side of cist. No major issues with site, area is lightly grazed and there is a small amount of bracken in and around larger circle and south side of cist.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photographs taken during November 2019 visit.

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

Eastern of two 'Cairns' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1019083 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

Within Scheduled area.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 29/06/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

(Estimated 1964: Ancient Monuments). One of two cists on Willings Walls Warren.
(02/12/1991) 40m east of reave. Low mound with cist within retaining kerb. Scheduled Monument Notification.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)

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