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Summary

A clustered prehistoric enclosure complex of six elements, with three hut circles, on the lower western slope of the Erme Valley, to the north of Blatchford Bottom. A small portion of the site at the northern end has been lost to erosion where the steep escarpment of the river has gradually crumbled, taking the wall with it. The six enclosures are spread on a north to south axis, with the whole complex covering 215 metres by 60 metres and just under 1 hectare. The nucleus is the smallest enclosure at 0.04 hectares near the northern section and has two hut circles built into its corners. Additional enclosures were added to north and south and one to the west. The largest of these, and probably last to be added, is at the southern end with an area of 0.32 hectares. The eastern wall of this enclosure has now mostly slipped down the slope, leaving a stony scarp. The enclosure walls were constructed from stone but are now very spread, denuded and turf covered. Most are less than 0.5 metres high with some as low as 0.3 metres and are spread to a maximum width of 3 metres. A very few in situ boulders and fragments of facing walls survive in place. The largest hut circle is built into the corner of the nuclear enclosure. The walls were heavily embanked into the slope and have now spread to over 5 metres, but remain in excess of 1 metre high in places. Small traces of stone representing the interior facing wall of the hut circle survive and suggest the internal diameter of the hut was approximately 7.5 metres. An entrance opening survives on the southern arc of the wall. A second hut circle at the southern end of this enclosure survives only as a spread earthwork ring with a subtly levelled centre. The interior cannot be measured but the overall diameter of the earthwork is 7.4 metres. The third hut circle is incorporated into the wall of a secondary enclosure to the south. The embanked walls of this hut are also very spread and turf covered. Some stone of the interior facing wall survives, suggesting an internal diameter of approximately 6.5 metres.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of prehistoric hut circle settlements at Blatchford Bottom, as well as extensive area of medieval or later tin streamworks along the Bledge Brook and the River Erme

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset: Y
• National Monuments Record: SX66SW7
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442177
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/70

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• 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.

Parts of two enclosures and one hut circle shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX66SW7 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV156510.

(1950) Remains of enclosure and two hut circles. These structures are very vague and fragmentary, the walls consisting only of small stones approximately 0.2 metres high.
(12/08/1977) Centred at SX 635640, on a south east slope at 362m OD is a settlement extending over 2.5ha and incorporating the remains of nine, mostly contiguous enclosures. The area is confined by a river cliff on the east overlaid by peat to the south west, and partly destroyed by peat digging on the north.
All the enclosures are curvilinear, varying from circular measuring about 27.0m across, to oval measuring 80m by 47m. They have rubble walling generally 0.8m wide and 0.3m high.
The huts, two of which have clearly levelled interiors, appear to be of Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19). Their internal diameters range from about 3.0m and 7.0m with a mean of 5.2m. Walling averages 1.9m wide and 0.4m high with entrances mainly to the south.
The structure noted in 1950, at SX 63436396 is the remains of a yard or stripped out hut circle, 8.0m in diameter, consisting of ten spaced upright slabs 0.3m high with a small segment of rubble wall to the north. It encloses a hut of 2.3m by 2.6m internal diameter.
There is no visible evidence of fields associated with the settlement.
Surveyed at 1:10000 on MSD.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6364, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV155390.

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

Agglomerated enclosure of up to five (possibly more) elements containing four attached hut circles and two unattached hut circles.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 56-57, Map 54, Figure 54.16 (Monograph). SDV337765.

A cluster of joined enclosures with associated hut circles. The remains of these enclosures are insubstantial and some sections have disappeared in places. At least five separate enclosures can be traced here, with three associated hut circles.

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.

Six adjoining enclosures shown on modern mapping.

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

Enclosures visible on aerial photograph.

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

Six adjoining enclosures shown although three are incomplete due to encroaching tin streamworks and one has part of the north-western boundary missing.

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

A clustered prehistoric enclosure complex of six elements, with three hut circles, on the lower western slope of the Erme Valley, to the north of Blatchford Bottom. A small portion of the site at the northern end has been lost to erosion where the steep escarpment of the river has gradually crumbled, taking the wall with it. The six enclosures are spread on a north to south axis, with the whole complex covering 215 metres by 60 metres and just under 1 hectare. The nucleus is the smallest enclosure at 0.04 hectares near the northern section and has two hut circles built into its corners. Additional enclosures were added to north and south and one to the west. The largest of these, and probably last to be added, is at the southern end with an area of 0.32 hectares. The eastern wall of this enclosure has now mostly slipped down the slope, leaving a stony scarp. The enclosure walls were constructed from stone but are now very spread, denuded and turf covered. Most are less than 0.5 metres high with some as low as 0.3 metres and are spread to a maximum width of 3 metres. A very few in situ boulders and fragments of facing walls survive in place. The largest hut circle is built into the corner of the nuclear enclosure. The walls were heavily embanked into the slope and have now spread to over 5 metres, but remain in excess of 1 metre high in places. Small traces of stone representing the interior facing wall of the hut circle survive and suggest the internal diameter of the hut was approximately 7.5 metres. An entrance opening survives on the southern arc of the wall. A second hut circle at the southern end of this enclosure survives only as a spread earthwork ring with a subtly levelled centre. The interior cannot be measured but the overall diameter of the earthwork is 7.4 metres. The third hut circle is incorporated into the wall of a secondary enclosure to the south. The embanked walls of this hut are also very spread and turf covered. Some stone of the interior facing wall survives, suggesting an internal diameter of approximately 6.5 metres.

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

(21/07/2019) This settlement has had its north-eastern section truncated by tinning in antiquity. Grass and reeds have become more established over the past few years although the drier conditions of the stony Prehistoric banks enables ready identification of the site plan. Good condition.

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

Photographed 21/07/2019.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley

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