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Summary

A prehistoric settlement on the western slope above the River Erme, north of Blatchford Bottom, comprising three attached enclosures with 14 hut circles, all of which are incorporated into the enclosure walls. The primary enclosure covers 0.1 hectares, onto which two additional enclosures were added, totalling 0.46 hectares. The turf-covered enclosure walls are low and in poor condition, spread to between 2 metres and 2.5 metres and less than 0.5 metres high, though in places they are barely perceivable. A few orthostats survive in situ. The hut circles are also in poor condition consisting mainly of low, spread, turf-covered rubble rings, although some masonry fabric remains visible and in situ. The largest two huts have interior diameters of 4.8 metres and 5.6 metres but most are smaller and have no surviving wall faces from which to take measurement. On the southern corner, two of the huts are associated with a small elliptical pound or yard of 7 metres by 10 metres, within the southern enclosure. Post-abandonment interference is evident on the western enclosure wall where a ground-level stone structure of 2 metres by 2 metres has encroached into the wall. Three further detached hut circles are sited on the south eastern of the enclosure (see MDV4244) and an additional group of six huts survive to the north-east (MDV28105).

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1003192: Enclosure and hut circles in Erme Valley on east side of Stall Moor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SW6
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442174
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/9
• Old SAM County Ref: 808

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 3000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

Three adjoining enclosures with 13 associated hut circles shown as 'Hut Circles' on 19th century map.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6364, 4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV155390.

Photograph taken on 22nd April 1976.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX66SW6 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV152513.

(17/08/1977) An enclosed settlement of 0.6 hectares with further hut circles and two hut platforms to the northeast situated on a south-east facing slope at 350.0 m OD.
The walling of the enclosures averages 2.0m wide and 0.6m high.
All the huts are of type 1 and in poor condition with levelled interiors except the five furthest from the enclosures, to the northeast. Most have southern entrances and their internal diameters vary from 2.0m to 4.0m, with walling averaging 1.6m wide and 0.6m high. The huts within the enclosure are integrated with the walling and the majority appear to have preceded the enclosures. Two yards at SX 63566425 and SX 63616430 are attached to the enclosure. Hut platforms are at SX 63636478 (not portrayed at 1:10 000). There is no associated field system or plots.
(Type site: SX 56 SE 19)
Revised at 1:10 000 on MSD.

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

An agglomerated enclosure is visible, comprising three elements. Fifteen hut circles are visible, all of which are attached to walls or to other hut circles.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 67-68, Map 55, Figure 55.1 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Blatchford Bottom 2 prehistoric settlement in the Upper Erme valley is overgrown. Sixteen huts are clustered around the edge of a triple enclosure and others are freestanding outside. Three of these are immediately downhill and six more straggling northwards parallel with the river with some barely visible. The only interior division within the enclosure is a small pen in the southern section. The hut circles are mostly small with diameters from 2.3 to 5.6 metres.

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

Enclosures visible on aerial photographs.

Newman, P., 2018, Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV361913.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1, Figure 28 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

A prehistoric settlement on the western slope above the River Erme, north of Blatchford Bottom, comprising three attached enclosures with 14 hut circles, all of which are incorporated into the enclosure walls. The primary enclosure covers 0.1 hectares, onto which two additional enclosures were added, totalling 0.46 hectares. The turf-covered enclosure walls are low and in poor condition, spread to between 2 metres and 2.5 metres and less than 0.5 metres high, though in places they are barely perceivable. A few orthostats survive in situ. The hut circles are also in poor condition consisting mainly of low, spread, turf-covered rubble rings, although some masonry fabric remains visible and in situ. The largest two huts have interior diameters of 4.8 metres and 5.6 metres but most are smaller and have no surviving wall faces from which to take measurement. On the southern corner, two of the huts are associated with a small elliptical pound or yard of 7 metres by 10 metres, within the southern enclosure. Post-abandonment interference is evident on the western enclosure wall where a ground-level stone structure of 2 metres by 2 metres has encroached into the wall. Three further detached hut circles are sited on the south eastern of the enclosure (see MDV4244) and an additional group of six huts survive to the north-east (MDV28105).

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

(21/07/2019) Settlement is set on level ground a little further back from the river, substantial vegetation growth of reed grass noted on this monument. The drier walls enable ease of identification but the damp ground between is, in places, becoming difficult to walk through simply because of the growth. Good condition.

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

Photographed 21/07/2019.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Enclosures and hut circles shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2019, National Heritage List for England, 1003192 (National Heritage List for England). SDV362730.

The monument includes part of a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement situated on the lower south eastern slopes of Stall Moor on the western valley side of the River Erme. The partially enclosed settlement survives as sixteen stone hut circles of varying size either incorporated into the defining walls or attached to the outside of three agglomerated enclosures of varying size and shape with three outlying freestanding stone hut circles to the south east. The stone hut circles vary in diameter internally from 2.3 metres up to 5.6 metres and are defined by low rubble built walls. The enclosure walls measure up to 2 metres wide and 0.5 metres high. In the south western corner two of the hut circles are attached to a small pound within an enclosure. Where visible the entrances to the hut circles generally face south.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley

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