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Summary

Possible cairn south of Beardown Man recorded by Worth in 1948; site has been confused by the Ordnance Survey with MDV131162 to the east. Survey in 1994, 2004, 2010 and 2018 recorded it as a probable natural feature; no longer considered to be a prehistoric cairn.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a Bronze Age cairn 250 metres south of Devil's Tor, measuring 3.1 metres in diameter and a maximum height of 0.4 metres

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NE2
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439574
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/15
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• NATURAL FEATURE (Unknown date)
• (Former Type) CAIRN (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1978, SX57NE2 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV253911.

There is a cairn, not surveyed by Worth about 200 yards south of Beardown Man (citing Worth, R. H.),
(26/06/1950) SX59457939 Cairn (no trace). No trace of this antiquity could be found. This area is now used as an artillery range.
(25/08/1978) At SX 59457939 at approximately 527.0m OD, on the south west slope of Devil's Tor is a possible cairn, dished and 2.2m in diameter with a 0.3m deep interior and one off centre stone. Although it is overgrown by grass its condition is good.
This may be Worth's cairn since no other could be identified in the vicinity.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD and at 1:100. See ground photograph.

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

No photographs available for this site.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(11/07/1994) SX 59457939. This feature described by Ordnance Survey (1978) appears to be a loose natural agglomeration of surface stone. The area described by the NGR lies on the margin of an extensive clitter field and several small upright stones, similar to that in the alleged cairn, lie in the immediate area. The feature described by Worth is probably that at SX 59667941 (SX 57 NE 77).

Gerrard, S., 1993-2010, Monument Protection Programme Alternative Action Report, 21/4/1992 (Report - non-specific). SDV145710.

Considered under the Monument Protection Programme. Evaluated as of local importance but could not be located. Search was not extensive and lack of fixed points may mean that it was sought in wrong place. Not recommended for scheduling.

Newman, P., 2004, Merrivale Range Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV346874.

Marked as a natural feature.

Probert, S. A. J., 2010, A Condition Survey of the Archaeological Sites of Merrivale Range, Dartmoor Training Area (Report - Survey). SDV360515.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

MasterMap shows a cairn at SX59477940 (where Worth indicated the feature existed), 165 metres to the west of this feature but according to the recent investigations on site, this is not a cairn.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Merrivale Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation, 8, Table 3, photograph (Report - Survey). SDV361635.

Alleged cairn south of Beardown Man. Unlikely (included in list of sites previously recorded but in this survey either not found, natural features, non-antiquities or duplicates).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7441 - Condition survey of the archaeological sites of Merrivale Training Area
• EDV7570 - Condition survey of Merrivale Range training area
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8713 - Merrivale Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.