See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Enclosure with two hut circles north-west of Dry Lake gully, Harford Moor. This site is on the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Group of Bronze Age hut circle settlements west of Quickbeam Hill, adjacent to the River Erme, consisting of three sets of enclosures, two conjoined, with over ten associated hut circles

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Evidential): NI Site
• National Monuments Record: SX66SW12
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442196
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/48

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

Enclosure shown on 19th century map.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223, 5128-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV147275.

Visible.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6363, 4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV156571.

Hankin, C. F., 1977, Enclosed hut circle settlement north of Drylake (Worksheet). SDV165677.

Enclosure with two hut circles about 200 metres north-west of the gulley known as Drylake, Harford Moor. A roughly circular enclosure with complete walls, strongly built and covered with whortleberry. The enclosure measures 55.0 – 60.0 metres in diameter, the walls measure approximately 0.6 metres in height. There is no obvious entrance.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX66SW12 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV165675.

(08/08/1977) This sub-circular enclosed settlement measures 65m by 50m and 0.3 ha, and lies on a moderate, well drained, clitter free, southwest facing slope at 350m above OD. The wall, 2.5m wide, is double faced and constructed of large boulders, now turf covered and in fair condition. There is a probable entrance at the east angle; it is 1.3m wide and marked by transverse orthostats. Two terraced Type 2 hut circles, average internal diameter 6.8m with walling 1.2m wide, are built on the line of the enclosure wall. Both are in very poor condition, one being mutilated by the construction of a modern shelter upon it.
(Type site : SX 56 NE 71).
1:10 000 Survey revised on MSD.

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

Enclosure with two hut circles attached to its wall visible and recorded.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Enclosure shown on modern mapping.

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.

Enclosurew with two hut circles shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1, Figure 5 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

An enclosure with two hut circles on the moderate eastern slope of the River Erme to the north of Lower Dry Lake. The stony, turf-covered walls of the 0.3 hectare enclosure are collapsed and spread to up to 5 metres wide in places and approximately 0.5 metres high. Fragmentary evidence of the wall facings survive as in situ slabs. Remains of a possible entrance on the angular eastern corner consist of leaning and fallen granite slabs, though no opening is evident. Both hut circles are built into the northern arc of the enclosure wall (see MDV79062 and 4295). Remains of a slight, circular shelter with a diameter of 3.5 metres has been built against the southern exterior, comprising a low, turf-covered stony bank. A tinwork, comprising a 9 metre by 11 metre oval pit, a gully, and several prospecting pits, has caused some disturbance to the western arc of the enclosure. At the time of survey (May 2018), much of the enclosure interior was obscured by the growth of dense rushes.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UE-30 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(10/02/2019) Recorded by volunteer condition assessor. Condition assessed as good. The site is on open grass land not crossed by any major paths. The grass is a fine quality attractive to livestock. Extensive patches of reed/grass have accumulated where water pools in the interior of the houses, uphill of the pound walls and where it has flowed through the walls. Moss is growing over the stones of the walls. It has remained largely unchanged for at least the last ten years.

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

Photographs taken in February 2019.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley

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