See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Cairn with retaining circle and cist to the west of Tristis Rock

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1010766: Cairn to the west of Tristis Rock, Burford Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SW59
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442351
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/20
• Old SAM County Ref: 822
• Old SAM Ref: 10528

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN CIRCLE (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• CIST (Constructed, Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 3000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1892, 14th Report of the Barrow Committee, 47-48 (Article in Serial). SDV237177.

Near Yadsworthy, in the Erme Valley, there is a stone circle of about 33 feet in diameter (MDV4257), surrounding a barrow which has at some time been opened. Connected with this is a stone row. In a line with the stone circle at the southern end of the row and nearer to the tor is a smaller but more perfect circle of 18 feet dimeter, with nine stones still standing and apparently one side of the kistvaen in place.

Worth, R. N., 1892, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor, 401-402 (Article in Serial). SDV237176.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 140 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

Falcon, T. A., 1905, Dartmoor: A Note on Graves, 460 (Article in Serial). SDV255372.

Worth, R. H., 1921, 40th Report of the Barrow Committee, 84-85, plan (Article in Serial). SDV165957.

On Burford Down, near Tristis Rock, is a retaining circle of a barrow, internal diameter between 16 and 17 feet and consisting of twelve stones which enclose the remaining south side stone of a cist. The overall length of the side stone is 4 feet 6 inches, the internal length of the cist would not have been more than 3 feet.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX66SW59 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV165914.

(20/02/1950) Barrow, circle and cist. 15 feet in diameter (presumably relates to circle surrounding cist), 11 stones only one side of cist left.
Card cites Worth (1921) and Grinsell (1978) and states that Worth's description and measurements are accurate.
(01/08/1977) SX 63776015 A circular cairn, 5 to 5.3m diameter and 0.6m high, on the summit of a small ridge of 260m above OD. It has a central cist, surrounded by an apparently complete retaining circle or peristalith of 12 regularly spaced stones up to 0.9m by 0.2m and 0.8m high. Only the south side stone of the cist remains within a central hollow.
It is aligned on the terminal cairn of the nearby stone row (SX 66 SW 57), grid bearing 282o. 1:10 000 survey revised on MSD.

Ancient Monuments, 1970, Cairns and stone row west of Tristis Rock, Burford Down, 5/5/1970 (Schedule Document). SDV154730.

There are 10 kerb stones in-situ. The centre of the barrow is robbed out, and the remains of a cist are visible. There is cairn material remaining to a height of 800 millimetres.

Davidson, C. + Seabrook, R., 1973, Stone Rings on south-east Dartmoor, 25, 35, figures 5, 22, 23 (Article in Serial). SDV345864.

Site surveyed (1971?) and measured plan published. Only one stone of the central cist remains.

National Monument Record, 1976, SX6360/1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV165921.

Visible on the aerial photograph.

Burl, A., 1977, Stone Circles of the British Isles (Monograph). SDV260575.

Hankin, C. F., 1977-1980, Harford Parish Checklist, 25/7/1976 (Worksheet). SDV149931.

(Visited 25/7/1976) About 70 metres west of Tristis Rock, there is a stone circle with nine standing stones the most northerly of which has the maximum height of 68.6 centimetres. The remains of a cist within a circle consists of one stone which is partly buried. Circle diameter of around 4.8 metres, maximum height of stone 68.6 centimetres; cist - stone length 1.22 metres by 0.152 metres. All the monuments on Burford Down seem to have undergone considerable change in the last thirty years or so.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 140 / Harford 6 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(24/06/1973) Cairn with retaining circle of which nine stones are still standing. Diameter 5.4 metres, height 0.3 metres.

Hankin, C. F., 1980, An Archaeological Check-List for Harford, 25/7/1976 (Un-published). SDV361875.

(Visited 25/7/1976) About 70 metres west of Tristis Rock, there is a stone circle with nine standing stones the most northerly of which has the maximum height of 68.6 centimetres. The remains of a cist within a circle consists of one stone which is partly buried. Circle diameter of around 4.8 metres, maximum height of stone 68.6 centimetres; cist - stone length 1.22 metres by 0.152 metres. All the monuments on Burford Down seem to have undergone considerable change in the last thirty years or so.

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

Visible on 1976 National Monuments Record aerial photograph and recorded on map overlay.

Ancient Monuments, 1990, Cairn to the west of Tristis Rock, Burford Down (Schedule Document). SDV154731.

Cairn 5.5 metres diameter, 0.6 metres high with retaining kerb of 10 stones up to 0.6 metres high. Southern side of robbed central cist 1.22 metres long by 0.15 metres thick.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 75/ E22 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform circle. Ring of kerb stones, 4.9 metres internal diameter, enclosing flat-topped cairn 0.4m high with central cist.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 59-60, Map 54, Figure 54.19 (Monograph). SDV337765.

'Tristis Rock Cairn' at SX63776015 of 6.4 metres diameter by 0.4 metres high on the east side. The outer ring is almost complete and a long slab on edge in the centre of the pit is the remaining side of a cist.

Parks, D., 2017, Cairns and monuments on Burford Down (Un-published). SDV360112.

Features were visited on 13/03/2016 and photographed and positions recorded. Correction noted for duplicate record MDV4311; this refers to MDV4258.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Cairn is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 07/03/2017 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Despite some disturbance, Tristis Rock cairn is a well-preserved example of a cairn with retaining kerb and cist and occupies a prominent position on the brow of a hill.
Details
The cairn by Tristis Rock is 5.5 metres in diameter and survives to a height of 0.6 metres, with a retaining kerb of ten stones up to 0.6 metres high and the south side of a robbed cist, measuring 1.22 metres in length and 0.15 metres in thickness, in the centre.

Parks, D., 2017, Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks (Website). SDV360111.

Webpage http://www.dartmoorwalks.org.uk/resource/site.php?SiteID=342 details the Burford Down (Tristis Rock) Platform Cairn Circle and Cist.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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