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Summary

Bronze Age stone row and cairn circle on Stall Down. The stone row runs north -south for 500m. It is associated with three cairns (one either side see separate record) and a cairn circle. The stones are mostly 1m to 1.5m high with four over 2m. Scheduled.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1015806: Stone alignment and cairns on Stalldown

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SW17
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442211
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/34
• Old SAM County Ref: 461
• Old SAM Ref: 10509

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• STONE ALIGNMENT (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

Feature shown on 19th century map.

Baring Gould, S., 1897, Fourth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 145-7 (Article in Serial). SDV337081.

Tyler, F. C., 1930-1931, Kistvaens at Thornworthy and Stone Rows, 115-9 (Article in Serial). SDV251072.

This row included in a discussion on the orientation of stone rows.

Brailsford, J. W., 1938, Bronze Age Stone Monuments of Dartmoor, 445-6 (Article in Serial). SDV304210.

Worth, R. H., 1941, Retaining Circles Associated with Stone Rows, Dartmoor, 235 (Article in Serial). SDV251083.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 289-290, Plate 34 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

Bronze Age Stone Row '7' on Stalldon. No formal terminals, barrow or menhir. Elevation south end 366 metres, north end 402 metres. The south end length of 239 metres and the north length of 260 metres. The divergence gives a convexity of 22 metres to the east. At 30 metres from the end of the row south end, the retaining circle of a barrow touches the east side of the row. It has been restored - no plan was made before restoration; the stones to the north of and nearest to the circle were left in line pointing to the circle's centre. That line should point to the west circumference of the circle, making with the southern part one continuous row, tangential to the circle. Two cairns lie abreast the line north of the retaining circle, one with its centre 41 metres away from the row to the east and the other with its centre 28 metres to the west. South of the retaining circle, the stones in the row, where closest set, are from 3 metres apart, centre to centre. North of the retaining circle, the stones are roughly the same distance apart, for the closest set stones, but the large stones towards the north end are from 9 metres to 15 metres apart. The large stones are over 2.5 metres in height.

Davidson, C. + Seabrook, R., 1973, Stone Rings on south-east Dartmoor, 32 (Article in Serial). SDV345864.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6362, 2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV165685.

Photograph taken on 22nd April 1976.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX66SW17 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV162776.

(05/08/1977) The row extends for 512m in a north south direction from SX 63226255 to SX 63226203. It comprises eighty two stones (of which two or three may be unassociated grounders) between 0.2m and 2.3m high, the taller being towards the higher northern end. The ends are not intervisible and there are no formal terminals unless a now recumbent post type stone at the northern end was intended as such. The northern part of the row is aligned precisely in the centre of the cairn circle, both of which would therefore seem part of the original design. The cairn is not visible from the south end of the southern extension of the row. This extension consists of four general alignments more of which focus on the cairn circle, and the northern end of the extension is tangential to the west side of the circle. These factors, and the larger size of the stones in the northern extension of the row, suggest two phases of construction.
The circle is as planned by authority 3 except that one stone is completely concealed and a former recumbent one is now missing. There are no remains of the cairn.
Surveyed at 1:10000 on MSD and at 1:1000 (see plan).

Emmett, D. D., 1979, Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered, 107, 111 (Article in Serial). SDV251087.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 60-61, Map 54, Figure 54.20 and 54.21 (Monograph). SDV337765.

'Stalldown stone row and cairns' restored by Baring Gould in about 1897. The north end of the row starts with six large pillars 12.5 metres apart, two of which are fallen and the others 1.9 to 2.6 metres high. The row is 502.5 metres long but may originally have continued south for a further 340 metres for after a gap of about 50 metres there are another 16 flat or buried stones in line.

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Stalldown Stone Row (Personal Comment). SDV165423.

Notes made on 22nd March 1995.

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

Feature visible on aerial photograph.

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

Feature shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1, Figures 19 -20 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

The Stall Down single stone row extends for 498 metres, ascending the western summit of Stall Down in an approximately north to south alignment, between 370 and 405 metres OD. Out of a total of 73 visible granite stones, 61 remain standing and 12 are recumbent. Other fallen stones may be buried. The tallest in-situ stone is 2.36 metres and the lowest is 0.4 metres. The stones are all of similar type, selected to provide upright posts rather than edge set slabs. The tallest stones at the northern end, on the summit, offer an impressive view from surrounding valley slopes, though the northern two stones are fallen, including one of almost 3 metres in length, which would have enhanced the appearance further. The spacing of the stones varies, between approximately 3.3 metres and 9 metres, though missing stones may account for the larger gaps. The row is not straight: the southern 225 metres runs at approximately 7⁰ east of grid north, whereas the northern section runs approximately 4⁰ west of grid north. This monument may be considered part of the western Erme Valley ritual landscape, having associations with seven cairns on and around the summit of Stall Down as well as the Stall Moor stone row and circle to the north.

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

'Stone Row' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2020, National Heritage List for England, 1015806 (National Heritage List for England). SDV363414.

This alignment runs for 500 metres in a roughly north-south direction from the top of Stalldown. It is closely associated with three lateral cairns, one of which is defined by a fine retaining kerb. Many of the stones have been restored in the past and may not be exactly as originally positioned. They are mostly 1 to 1.5 metres high with four over 2 metres at the northern end, where they are also more widely spaced. One cairn lies 28 metres to the west towards the northern end, the second lies 41 metres to the east a little further south and the retaining kerb of the third, lies on the alignment further south. The complex lies in area heavily cut for peat.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley

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