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Summary

Open settlement of 22 huts and one small enclosure, all in poor condition. The huts have mostly level interiors with diameters from 2.7 metres to 7.3 metres and walling averaging 1.2 metres wide and 0.4 metres high. The few visible entrances are in the south.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1011389: Sixteen stone hut circles forming part of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement on the north-east slope of Cox Tor
• SHINE: Earthworks and surviving stone walling of Bronze Age hut circle settlements and medieval or later prospecting pits on Petertavy Great Common, to north-east of Cox Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1011384: Three stone hut circles forming part of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement on the north-east slope of Cox Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1011429: Two stone hut circles and an enclosure forming part of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement of the north-east slope of Cox Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1011387: Stone hut circle forming part of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement on the north-east slope of Cox Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NW33
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439818
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/3
• Old SAM County Ref: 868
• Old SAM Ref: 20396

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57NW33 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV228332.

(14/08/1950) (SX 53587648) Hut Circles (NR) (nineteen shown).
A. At [20/5361/7663]. Diam. 8.0m. Height of walls 0.4m. Entrance appears to be to SE. Much overgrown with heather and bracken.
Condition good. Hollowed in centre. Consists of large earth cover stones.
B. At [20/5360/7661]. Diam. 8.0m. Height of walls 0.3m. Entrance to SE. Consists of heather and bracken covered stones of fairly large size. Condition fair.
C. At [20/5359/7655]. Diam. 7.5m. Height of wall 0.4m. Hollowed in centre, is banked at eastern entrance. Entrance appears to be to south. Consists of heather and bracken covered stones. Condition good.
D. At [20/5355/7657]. Diam. 8.0m. Height of wall 0.25m. Much overgrown and only SW stones visible. Entrance looks to SE. General condition poor.
E. At [20/5361/7651]. Diam. 6.5m. Height of wall 0.4m. Much despoiled. Condition fair. Consists of turf covered stones. Many stones probably from original structure are scattered about the interior of the circle. Owing to the disturbed condition it was impossible to give a more approximate position to the entrance. Whole - much overgrown.
F. At [20/5357/7650]. Diam. approx. 3.5m. Height varying from 0.3m to nil. Much overgrown, this hut circle is in poor condition. Stones only visible at western extremity.
G. At [20/5357/7651]. Diam. 6.0m. Height of wall 0.25m. Much overgrown. Condition poor. Position of entrance indeterminate. Only surface stones visible of this feature.
H. At [20/5357/7651]. Diam. 6.0m with virtually no light. Traces only of this circle remain. Condition - fragmentary.
I. At [20/5354/7649]. Diam. 5.5m. Height of wall 0.4m. Entrance appears to be to NE side, this being a large boulder, apparently in situ, 0.9m in height which forms outside of a distinct depression in the wall level. Condition of circle, fair. Much overgrown.
J. At [20/5356/7646]. A small hut circle, 4.0m in diam. Height of walls 0.4m. Hollowed in centre. Entrance appears to be to SE. Condition fair. Wall consists of small granite boulders. Much overgrown with turf.
K. At [20/5357/7645]. Diam. 43.5m from centre of wall to centre of wall. Height 0.3m. Entrance at south. Double walls type of hut circle, consisting of two 'walls' of large granite stones contours with smaller stones and earth. Condition good. Much despoiled.
L. At [20/5359/7645]. Diam. 6.0m. Height of wall 0.9m. Hollowed slightly in centre. Entrance not possible to determine. Consists of large turf covered stone. Condition good.
M. At [20/5359/7645]. Diam. 6.0m. Height of wall 0.5m. This large hut circle is of fairly large turf and heather covered stones, the wall is, on an average 2.0m in thickness, but does not appear to be of the double-walled type. Entrance at south, much stone lying about the interior of the circle. Condition good.
During the investigation of the aforementioned hut circles, five additional ones were found, the position and classification of which are below:-
N. At [20/5354/7643]. Diam. 7.0m. Height of wall 0.4m. Entrance to the SE. Consists of fairly large heather and turf covered stones. The walls are of indeterminate thickness owing to the scattered condition of the stones. Circle is slightly hollowed in centre. Condition good.
O. At [20/5362/7646]. Diam. 4.0m. Height of wall 0.4m. Entrance not possible to determine. Condition good, much overgrown.
P. At [20/5352/7643]. Diam. 6.5m. Height of wall 0.3m which is much spread. Entrance appears to be to south. Condition good, though vary much overgrown with turf and heather.
Q. At [20/5353/7639]. Diam. 6.5m. Wall 0.4m in height. Consists of small turf covered stone and is 0.1m in thickness. Entrance possibly at south. Condition good, much overgrown.
R. At [20/5354/7638]. Diam. 7.0m. Height of wall 0.5m. Condition good. Slightly hollowed in centre. Wall of 1.0m in thickness. Consists of turf and heather covered stones, much overgrown.
S. At [SX 5376 5336]. Further hut circle of this group surveyed.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF 58/6399, 0043-44 (Aerial Photograph). SDV225229.

National Monument Record, 1977, SX5376, 206-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV271138.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57NW33, SX57NW33 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV228340.

(18/04/1980) On the north east slope of Cox Tor, around 378m OD, and centred at SX 535764, is an open settlement of 22 huts and one small enclosure, all in poor condition. The huts have mostly level interiors with diameters from 2.7m to 7.3m and walling averaging 1.2m wide and 0.4m high. The few visible entrances are in the south The majority of the huts are identifiable as Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19).
Two huts are joined by walling while two others are linked by a sub circular enclosure of 40m diameter (see plan). The boulder and rubble walling of this averages 1.7m wide and 0.6m high. The interspaced remains of walling in this area suggest a field system, now mostly concealed or destroyed.
Surveyed at 1:10000 and at 1:2500 for AO records.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, Settlement north-east of Cox Tor (Site Visit). SDV228342.

Visited on 24th August 1986. Huts not counted, but extant and undisturbed. Stone content of some of them quite slight: they are terraced into the hillside.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(01/12/1987) A group of twenty-two hut circles and associated enclosure walling, scattered along, and terraced into, a moderate slope for some 300m on the NE and E side of Cox Tor.
"A" SX 5361 7662. Hut circle of 4.5m internal diameter with walls 2 to 2.9m wide composed of small - medium size rubble with occasional larger blocks. The level interior is formed by cutting into the slope 0.55m and embanking downhill to a height of 0.45m. Elsewhere the walls are up to 0.4m high. There is no clear entrance.
"B" SX 5360 7661. Hut circle of 5.8m internal diameter with walls 1 to 2m wide mainly of medium and large size stones, reaching up to 0.5m in height. There is a possible entrance in the S arc. The interior is level and cut into the slope to 0.4m with corresponding downhill embankment to 0.5m high.
Hut circles "A" and "B" are situated towards the NW extremity of a small, subcircular enclosure of c. 0.12 ha. The enclosure boundary, not now complete, is marked by stony scarp up to 1.8m wide and 0.4m high which incorporates the hut circles in its circuit so that "A" is largely outside and "B" is half in and half out.
"C" SX 5359 7655. Hut circle of 4 to 5m internal diameter with walling of partly half-covered small rubble with occasional medium and large size boulders, spread to between 2 and 3.5m wide and up to 0.6m high. There is an entrance in the S arc, immediately W of which is a small box-like structure measuring 2 by 1.4m and formed by five edge-laid slabs almost flush with the ground surface. It lies partly within the interior which is terraced into the slope by cutting into 0.55 and embanked to 0.6m.
"D" SX 5354 7656. Hut circle of 5.2 to 6m in internal diameter with walls 1.5 to 2.3m wide and 0.3 to 0.45m high, composed of partly turf-covered small - medium size stone rubble. Its plan is almost D-shaped with the bar of the D upslope. The interior is terraced into the slope by cutting in an embankment to 0.45m. There is a possible entrance in the S arc.
"E" SX 5361 7651. Hut circle of 2.3 to 3.1m internal diameter. this feature is a jumble of stone rubble of varying sizes and set at all angles suggesting disturbance and robbing. The walls range in width from 1.3 to 3.5m and there is a substantial stone mass 4.2m wide forming the NE arc; there is perhaps a small annexe hidden here or else extraneous material dumped in the angle between the hut and the enclosure wall which sticks N from it. The interior is largely filled with scattered stone but is terraced into the slope to 0.5m. A possible entrance site, now only 0.5m wide, can be seen in the SE wall.
Hut circles "C" and "E" are linked by part of an enclosure or field wall which leaves the E side of hut "C" and runs SE for 30m in a shallow arc before turning S to run another 18m, to the N wall of hut "E". The feature is a NE-facing scarp, strewn with medium and large size stone, surviving up to 2.3m long and 0.5m high.
"F" SX 5357 7650. Fragmentary hut circle, overall diameter c. 5m with only traces of walling on the E side. Visible more as an earthwork terraced into the slope to 0.6m and embanked downhill to 0.4m.
"G" SX 5356 7651. Fragmentary hut circle marked only by a lair intermittent ring of turf-covered stone c. 6m overall diameter. Nothing else is visible.
"H" SX 5357 7650. A crescentic, stony scarp c. 8m across its arc and up to 0.9m high may represent the E circuit of a robbed-out hut circle. No further trace remains.
"I" SX 5359 7648. Hut circle of 3.4 to 4.2m internal diameter with walls of partly turf-covered small and medium size stone 1 to 2m wide and up to 0.6 high. A number of large boulders lie along the N arc: an attempt to remove one of which has caused considerable damage. The level interior has been terraced into the slope by cutting in to 0.6m and embankment to 0.55m. There is no entrance visible.
"J" SX 5355 7648. Hut circle of 2.7m internal diameter with walls of turf-covered medium and small size stone with occasional large boulders, 1 - 1.5m wide and 0.25 to 0.55m high. The interior is terraced into the slope to 0.55m and embanked to 0.3m. No entrance is visible.
"K" SX 5357 7645. Hut circle of 2.3 to 3.2m internal diameter with walling average 1.5m wide and only 0.3m high. Though in poor condition it retains traces of double-faced walling of larger stones with smaller infill. In the NE is a possible entrance. The interior is levelled into the slope.
"L" SX 5659 7645. Hut circle of 4.2m internal diameter with walling of medium and large stones 1 - 2m wide but generally only 0.15m high except where the interior has been terraced into the slope 0.65m and embanked to 0.4m. There are traces of external edging of large stones but no clear entrance.
"M" SX 5360 7640. Hut circle in good state of preservation, 6m double face 1.4m wide infilled with small, hand-size stones. Where disturbed, especially on the E, wall width increases up to 3m and facing is no longer apparent. There is an entrance in the S arc, 1m wide and partly obscured by tumble. The interior contains more rubble and is terraced into the slope to 0.5m, matched by embankment downhill to 0.7m.
"N" SX 5359 7643. Hut circle of 4 to 4.5m internal diameter with walling composed of medium and some large size stones 1.7 to 2.7m wide and 0.3 - 1.7m high, partly turf-covered. There is a trace of double facing on the N arc, otherwise the walling is jumbled and probably disturbed. There is no entrance visible. The interior is level, caused by sharply cutting into the slope to a depth of 0.7m and downhill embankment to 0.5m.
"O" SX 5362 7646. Hut circle of c. 2m internal diameter. Walling is of medium and large stones spread between 1.2 and 2.3m wide and 0.45m high. There are traces of double facing extant and a possible entrance in the NE wall. It does not appear to be terraced into the slope.
"P" SX 5352 7642. Hut circle of 4.5m internal diameter with walling of medium and large size rubble 2 - 3m wide and 0.35m high, partly turf-covered. The interior, not terraced into the slope, contains a small amount of scattered stone. No entrance can be seen.
"Q" SX 5352 7638. Hut circle of 4m internal diameter; walling similar to "P" in form and dimensions. The interior is cut into the slope to 0.5m and embanked downslope to 0.4m. There is no clear entrance.
"R" SX 5353 7637. Hut circle of c. 5m internal diameter; walling as "P" but including some smaller turf-covered stone, 2m wide and 0.3 - 0.45m high. The interior is terraced into the slope to 0.2m and embanked downslope to 0.45m. No entrance can be seen.
"S" SX 5352 7635. Hut circle in very poor condition; walling of medium and large stones and boulders from only a single ring averaging 6.5m diameter and 0.15m high. From the SE arc a line of stones runs E for 4m and probably represents a fragment of enclosure or field wall.
"T" SX 5360 7642. A single ring of medium and large stones partly turf-covered and 4.4 - 6m diameter is all that remains of this hut circle.
"U" SX 5360 7649. Hut circle, poorly preserved, 2 - 3m diameter internally with walling of turf-covered medium and large size stones 1 - 2m wide and 0.2 - 0.5m high. The E wall is indistinct. The interior is cut into the slope to 0.45m.
"V" SX 5357 7655. Hut circle situated at the SE end of a line of mineral prospecting pits and partly overlain by spoil from them. It has an internal diameter of 2.2m with damaged walling of small and medium size, partly turf-covered stone spread between 1.3 and 3.4m wide. The interior has been cut into the slope to 0.5m.
"W" SX 5350 7668. Hut circle, oval along the contour with internal diameter 4.4 - 6.6m. The feature is formed by two crescentic scarps, one cut into the slope to 0.6m, the other an embankment downhill 0.55m high, with the remaining short arcs on the NW and SE visible as low banks 1.5m wide and 0.2m high. The interior is level. This hut circle is almost totally turf-covered but there is a line of large boulders along the S arc. No entrance is visible.
Fifteen metres SE of "W" is a fragment of enclosure or field wall, now a stony scarp 2.5m long and 0.4m high, forming a 30m long arc aligned N-S. Its alignment suggests that formerly it joined to "W".
This group is probably the remains of an agglomerated settlement of huts linked by walling forming small compounds and fields. Most of the field walls have been robbed out. It was probably continuous with a similar, smaller group recorded as SX 57 NW 32 and situated only 60m to the N.

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

(1992) Dispersed unenclosed settlement extending over 500m along lower slopes of Cox Tor.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 84-85, Map 31, Figure 31.2 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Southern part of the extensive settlement to the north-east of Cox Tor including Enclosures 'D' and 'E' and about 15 hut circles. A large number of prospecting 'pits' running in a line from north-west to south-east are interspersed with the huts. (Figure 31.2 is shown upside down on Page 85).

Newman, P., 2019, Prehistoric Settlements North and South of Wedlake (Supplementary survey report) (Report - Survey). SDV363726.

A prehistoric hut settlement of 26 hut circles and fragmentary enclosure walls located on the moderate NE slope of Cox Tor, and SW of Wedlake.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1011389 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

The central part of this monument includes sixteen stone hut circles forming the largest part of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement, as well as a contemporary enclosure and a large number of tin prospecting pits situated on the north-east slope of Cox Tor overlooking the valley of the Colly Brook. Fifteen of the huts are circular in plan and measure between 2 metres and 8 metres in diameter. The remaining hut is D-shaped and has variable dimensions of 5.2 metres and 6 metres in diameter. The walls of all the huts are composed of stone and earth and measure between 0.2 metres and 0.9 metres high. One of the huts has an annexe, another is associated with a small box-like structure and eight have visible doorways. An enclosure boundary wall leads in a shallow arc between two of the stone hut circles and measures 2.3 metres wide and stands up to 0.5 metres high. A large number of tin prospecting pits lie within the monument. These consist of rectangular pits measuring 4 metres long by 3 metres wide and 0.8 metres deep with an associated crescent-shaped bank on the downslope side standing up to 1 metre high. These pits were excavated by tinners searching for tin ore.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8292 - Survey of the prehistoric settlements north and south of Wedlake
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project
• EDV8801 - Excavation at settlement?

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