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Summary

Enclosed hut circle settlement of 80 metres by 52 metres with walls up to 2.4 metres wide by up to 0.6 metres high 220 metres to the north-west of White Tor Camp

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1011461: Enclosed stone hut circle settlement and kerbed boulder 300m WNW of White Tor summit

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NW4
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439732
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/32
• Old SAM Ref: 22211

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSED SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

Three 'Hut Circles' shown on early 20th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57NW4, SX57NW4 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV228625.

(30/09/1950) Hut circle A, one of three, small double walled type. Measures 4.0m diameter, wall width 1.0m, height 0.5m. Wall completely turf covered, with a large natural boulder built into the northern side. Condition fair. Position of entrance uncertain, but possibly on s side. St. Joseph has air photo of this.
Hut B. Small double walled type, 4.0m diameter, wall width 1.5m and 0.5m high. Wall composed of fairly large stones, which are mainly turf covered. Condition fair. Impossible to say where the entrance was situated.
Hut C. Small double walled type 4.0m diameter, wall 1.0m wide and 0.5m high. Walls composed of turf covered stones. Condition fair. Entrance probably on south side.
(18/10/1980) A small enclosed settlement of 0.24 hectares with five hut circles, situated on a shelf and sheltered by rock outcrops on the eastern side. The huts, of Type 1, have internal diameters ranging between 2.3m and 3.2m and rubble or single block walling 1.4m wide and 0.3m high. Only one hut 'C', has an entrance gap and that is to the south-east. Hut 'D' has the remains of a small annexe on the north-west side.
The enclosure is formed by a rubble wall 1.5 metres wide and from 0.3 metre to 0.5 metres high, linking the outcrops but with a 15.0 metres wide gap on the west side. See ground photographs and plan at 1:2500. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD.

Ordnance Survey, 1954, SX57NW (Cartographic). SDV242244.

Shown on map.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF 58/6399, 0042-0043 (Aerial Photograph). SDV225229.

National Monument Record, 1977, SX5478, 2/232-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV228382.

Photograph taken on 20th May 1977.

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

Formerly three hut circles, now four hut circles freestanding with agglomerated enclosure of five or more elements recorded from aerial photographs. Constructed within area of rock outcrops.

Sainsbury, I. S., 1987, Enclosed settlement north-west of White Tor (Report - Survey). SDV228631.

Visited on 9th November 1987. An enclosed settlement centred at SX 5395 7873 and consisting of six, but possibly more hut circles, is as described by the Ordnance Survey in 1980. The huts which occur predominantly on the lower-lying ground at the base of the outcrops consist of partly turf-covered stony walls, some incorporating large boulders or outcrop of rock; from 1.2 metres to 2.9 metres in width and from 0.4 metres up to 0.8 metres maximum height. There are no clearly defined entrance gaps.
Hut 'A' (SX 5396 7874) the best preserved of the huts, it is levelled into the hillside and lies higher up the slope than the others. It measures, internally 2.4 metres by 2.0 metres.
Hut 'B' (SX 5394 7875) is built up against an outcrop on its northern side and measures internally 2 metres across.
Hut 'C' (SX 5394 7874) measures 3 metres across internally. It has utilised a large rectangular block on the east side and there may have been an entrance on the west side indicated by a 1 metre wide break. There is a lowering of the wall on the south-east side of the block.
Hut 'D' (SX 5393 7873) is 2 metres in diameter internally. It is contiguous with the settlement enclosure wall on its west side and there may have been an entrance against this wall on the south side.
Hut 'E' (SX 5394 7872) measures 2 metres in internal diameter with a possible entrance, now blocked? in the north-west.
Hut 'F' (SX 5392 7873) 'annexe' described by previous recorder is contiguous with hut 'D' against the settlement wall but on the outer west side there may have been an entrance on the west side but the whole is poorly defined.
There are several areas of level ground which may indicate other hut circles.
'G' (SX 5397 7874) set in a level area on top of the outcrop and about 3 metres in diameter. The settlement wall cuts across the northern side of this cleared area.
'H' (SX 5395 7873) is a circular depression 2.5 metres in diameter and up to 0.4 metres deep.
'J' (SX 5393 7872) up against the interior of the settlement wall in the south-west is a cleared area about 4 metres in diameter.
The wall enclosing the settlement which lies between rocky tors or outcrops around the eastern uphill side is fragmentary. It varies from 1.8 metres to 2.4 metres wide and from 0.4 metres to 0.6 metres in height and is composed of turf-covered stones and boulders. There appears to be fragments of the wall continuing across the '15 metres' wide gap on the west side.

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

(1992) Enclosure on west facing slope of White Tor. Turf covered stone and boulder wall up to 2.4 metres wide and 0.6 metres high. Links a number of small granite outcrops and defines an area 80 metres north-west by south-east by 52 metres south-west by north-east. Eight hut circles lie within; two attached. One attached to outer face. Kerbed boulder identified in eastern part of enclosure. Field evidence of post-Medieval stone cutting exists within the enclosure.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 91-92, Map 31, Figure 31.7 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Five small hut circles are sited on the edge of the clitter with the remnants of an enclosure at Site '11' to the west of the 'White Tor Fort'. Another two huts are faintly portrayed within the eastern part of the enclosure.

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

Parts of enclosure visible on aerial photograph.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 31/08/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

Full description(s) ?
(SX 53957873) Hut Circles (NR) (Three shown). (1)

Not visible on air photographs. (2)

A small enclosed settlement of 0.24ha. with five hut circles, situatedon a shelf and sheltered by rock outcrops on the E side.

The huts, of Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19), have internal diameters ranging
between 2.3m. and 3.2m. and rubble or single block walling 1.4m.
wide and 0.3m. high. Only one hut 'C', has an entrance gap and that
is to the SE. Hut 'D' has the remains of a small annexe on the NW
side.

The enclosure is formed by a rubble wall 1.5m. wide and from 0.3m.
to 0.5m. high, linking the outcrops but with a 15.0m. wide gap on
the W side.

See ground photographs and plan at 1:2500.

Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD. (3)

An enclosed settlement centred at SX 5395 7873 and consisting of six, but possibly more hut circles, is as described by authority 5. The huts which occur predominantly on the lower-lying ground at the base of the outcrops consist of partly turf-covered stony walls, some incorporating large boulders or outcrop of rock; from 1.2m to 2.9m in width and from 0.4m up to 0.8m maximum height.

There are no clearly defined entrance gaps.

Hut 'A' (SX 5396 7874) the best preserved of the huts, it is levelled into the hillside and lies higher up the slope than the others. It measures, internally 2.4m by 2.0m.

Hut 'B' (SX 5394 7875) is built up against an outcrop on its N side and measures internally 2m across.

Hut 'C' (SX 5394 7874) measures 3m across internally. It has utilised a large rectangular block on the E side and there may have been an entrance on the W side indicated by a 1m wide break. There is a lowering of the wall on the SE side of the block.

Hut 'D' (SX 5393 7873) is 2m in diameter internally. It is contiguous with the settlement enclosure wall on its W side and there may have been an entrance against this wall on the S side.

Hut 'E' (SX 5394 7872) measures 2m in internal diameter with a possible entrance, now blocked? in the NW.

Hut 'F' (SX 5392 7873) authority 3's 'annexe' is contiguous with hut 'D' against the settlement wall but on the outer W side there may have been an entrance on the W side but the whole is poorly defined.

There are at least three roughly circular areas, all rather ill-defined, which may possibly have been stances for structures at G (SX 5397 7874) set in a level area on top of the outcrop and about 3m in diameter. The settlement wall cuts across the N side of this cleared area.

'H' (SX 5395 7873) is a circular depression 2.5m in diameter and up to 0.4m deep.

'J' (SX 5393 7872) up against the interior of the settlement wall in the SW is a cleared area about 4m in diameter.

The wall enclosing the settlement which lies between rocky tors or outcrops around the eastern uphill side is fragmentary. It varies from 1.8m to 2.4m wide and from 0.4m to 0.6m in height and is composed of turf-covered stones and boulders. There appears to be fragments of the wall continuing across the '15m' wide gap on the W side. (6-8)


Sources ?
Ref Title (& comments) Year SoR Pages Volume Notes
SX 57 NW 1, 4, 52, cairn, ring cairn, enclosed settlement/Antiquity Model
2 surveys on same sheet
1 Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)
Default value used to record large numbers of archive items which are not separately catalogued. See Monument Recording Guidelines for details of use. OS 6" 1907
2 VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION OS F1 30-SEP-1950
3 Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)
Default value used to record large numbers of archive items which are not separately catalogued. See Monument Recording Guidelines for details of use. OS 6" 1954
4 VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION APs (RAF 58/6399 F65 0042-43 JUL-64)
5 Field Investigators Comments F1 NVQ 18-OCT-80.
6 VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION RCHME App 1985
7 VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION Devon County SMR SX 57 NW 032 (08-JUL-1985)
8 VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION RCHME Field Investigation, 09-NOV-1987, IS Sainsbury

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

'Hut Circles' shown on modern mapping

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1011461 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

This monument includes an enclosed stone hut circle settlement and kerbed boulder situated on the west-facing slope of White Tor overlooking the valley of the Colly Brook. Nine stone hut circles can be identified within the settlement.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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