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Summary

Enclosure 'A' . An irregularly shaped prehistoric enclosure with two external annexes and six associated hut circles, on the lower southern slopes of Stall Down. The main enclosure has an irregular footprint with arced ends and sinuous long sides, covering an area of 0.46 hectares.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012771: Unenclosed stone hut settlement north-east of Yadsworthy

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SW21
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/21/1
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/21/2
• Old SAM Ref: 10518
• Pastscape: 442223

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, LANEBA to Late Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

Western part of enclosure and many of the hut circles shown on 19th century map.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6361, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV138823.

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

The remains of an agglomerated enclosure are visible on the 1976 aerial photograph, probably of five or six elements. Twelve hut circles are contained within the enclosure, nine of them attached to walls.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 41-42, Map 54, Figure 54.3 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Enclosure 'F' at 'Stalldown South-east 1' though irregular in plan is the largest and best preserved enclosure with walls spread up to 3 metres across and a pair of small extensions on the east side. Four well built huts are spaced around the circuit walls and two smaller huts are located within the enclosure.

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

Most features shown on aerial photograph.

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

Enclosure shown on survey.

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

An irregularly shaped prehistoric enclosure with two external annexes and six associated hut circles, on the lower southern slopes of Stall Down; part of a large concentration of huts and enclosures spread across this location. The main enclosure has an irregular footprint with arced ends and sinuous long sides, covering an area of 0.46 hectares. At least three of the hut circles are connected by the walls, indicating their precedence in the structural sequence, and explaining the irregularities of the enclosure’s form. The southern extremity of the enclosure appears to have been truncated by a modern track, and the linear bank that exists now is a result of dumping. No trace of the enclosure is detectable south of the track suggesting this section was effaced, or buried. Two approximately D shaped enclosures of 0.02 and 0.01 hectares are attached to the exterior of the east side, both attached to one of the hut circles. The condition of the enclosures, which have been extensively robbed of stone, varies around the circuit. On the west and north sides a moderate stony scarp of up to 0.8 metres high, interspersed with a few remaining boulders mark what remains of the wall. On the east side of the enclosure these scarps are more subtle, less than 0.4 metres in places, and as the wall progresses southwards, only a turf covered stony spread survives. Two large hut circles were incorporated into the wall on the north-west side at SX6363561251 and SX63628 61223. Both have internal diameters of approximately 9 metres and comprise fragmented circles of stone within spread, turf-covered stone banks of up to 4 metres wide and 0.4 metres high. Many of the stones appear in situ but many others are absent. Both huts had entrances on the southern arc. A third hut circle is incorporated into the eastern side of the main enclosure and the two annexes. The turf-covered walls are now spread but a few boulders of the structure survive, some in situ, though most are displaced, giving an internal diameter of 6.7 metres. The entrance opening is on the south-east arc where two adjoining enclosures form a short corridor into the hut. A smaller, very ruinous hut circle on the interior of the enclosure is connected to the eastern wall by a short, spread stony bank at SX 63659 61194. The spread walls of the hut contain some displaced stone and the interior diameter would have been approximately 5.5 metres. Just to the south a fragmented semi-circle of boulders at SX 63658 61177 represents all that remains of a free-standing hut circle with a diameter of approximately 5.4 metres. On the western exterior of the enclosure wall, a turf-covered spread wall with six small exposed stones at SX 63611 61205 was also a hut circle though very little survives.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

Enclosure shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2020, National Heritage List for England, 1012771 (National Heritage List for England). SDV363414.

This unenclosed stone hut settlement, comprising thirty-four hut circles and six enclosures, lies on a gentle slope north-east of Yadsworthy. The archaeological features lie on either side of a modern track. Fifteen of the huts are attached to enclosures or banks, four are in two attached pairs, the rest are detached and they vary in size and construction, remaining up to a metre high and 12 metres in diameter with orthostatic walling and entrances. The banks also include orthostats, remaining over a metre in height in some places.

National Monuments Record, 2020, Pastscape, 44223, SX66SW21 (Website). SDV363416.

Enclosure 'A' at SX 63656119. This irregular enclosure, 100 metres by 60 metres and covering 0.6 hectares., has had its lower side destroyed by a recent track. The remaining walling, 2.0 metres wide and in fair condition, is built of small stones and heavily lynchetted. The interior is partly cleared and divided by boulder strewn lynchets, 0.4 metres high, possibly the remains of walls. It contains six Type 2 hut circles, average internal diameter 6.0 metres, walls 1.4 metres wide and mostly in fair condition. These are cut back, into the hillside, to a depth of 1.5 metres. Two huts have south facing entrances. Four of the huts are integral with the enclosure wall, the remainder are free-standing. A very small enclosure, 20 metres by 15 metres, possibly a yard, is built on to one hut and the outside of the main enclosure.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley

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