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Summary

A hut circle of probable Bronze Age date is recorded from field investigation and aerial survey as an oval hollow or terrace enclosed by a roughly circular earthwork bank, on the north-west facing slopes of Shaugh Moor. The hut circle is identifiable as an earthwork bank under scrub vegetation on aerial photographs of 1946 and 1964 and remains clearly visible as a subtle earthwork on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2002 onwards.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002520: Hut circles W of Saddlesborough
• SHINE: Bronze age landscapes on Shaugh Moor and Wooter Moor comprising earthworks and walling of enclosures, hut circles, cairns, stone circles and rows, reaves and field systems, and medieval and post medieval field systems

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE49
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439248
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/318
• Old SAM County Ref: 431

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1980, SX56SE49 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV150218.

(11/10/1950) Four hut circles, one lying outside the northern boundary of the fields.
(04/09/1980) A rather ruinous but large hut 8.00 in diameter and wall 2.00m thick in which are set many large orthostats. The western half of the hut wall has been removed but the entrance appears to have been orientated south-west. It is sited to the north of the main Saddlesbrough reave on ground sloping gently from east to west. ('A').
Three huts, A, C, and D (see plan) are of Type 2 (SX 56 NE 71) with internal diameters ranging between 7.3m. and 8.3m. and double walling from 1.4m. to 1.8m. wide and up to 1.1m. high. Where visible entrances are to the SW and SE. 'A' outside the field system is much robbed. Hut 'B' is of Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19) and has an internal diameter of 2.9m. The apparently single walling is now represented by five stones around the perimeter with maximum height of 0.4m. Condition poor. (See SX 56 SE 78 for associated field system).
Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/58/6399, RAF/58/6399 F64 0381-0382 02-JUL-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363068.

A curvilinear bank is visible as an earthwork.

Price, D. G., 1973, Ancient fields on Shaugh Moor, 90 map (Article in Serial). SDV147593.

National Monuments Record, 1978, NMR SX5563, 3/223 (Aerial Photograph). SDV152488.

Collis, J., 1983, Field Systems and Boundaries on Shaugh Moor and at Wotter, Dartmoor, 59 60 fig 6 (Article in Serial). SDV144058.

House "C". An arc of four slabs up to 1.0 metre high. Would have been around 8.0 metres in diameter. Reave (SX56SE-115) robbed in this area, perhaps for construction of huts.

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

Depicted in project; visible on 1878 aerial photograph.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 103-4, Map 48, Figure 48.4 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Hut circle '3' of 4.0 metres diameter within Settlement 'D' is built onto Saddlesborough reave and associated with the narrow rectangular fields butting the reave.

Fletcher, M. + Probert, S., 1998, Shaugh Moor, Devon: An Archaeological Survey (Report - Survey). SDV343481.

(Visited 02/12/1997) Centred at SX 5542 6338. A row of four hut circles situated on a west-facing hillslope in moorland lie between 258 metres and 267 metres above OD. Three of the huts which occur within the parallel reave system (SX 56 SE 78) almost certainly pre-date it as does the fourth hut which lies in isolation beyond the terminal reave.
SX 5541 6339. The remains of a hut circle are visible as a level stance located at the angle of two reaves. It survives as a ring of irregularly spaced boulders and slabs of 5.0 metres in overall diameter and on average 0.4 metres high. The interior is slightly raised. The entrance though not visible may have been in the south or west quadrants.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5563 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A curvilinear bank is visible as an earthwork.

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

Visible on the aerial photography.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, SM19 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 03/08/2019. Clearly visible in the landscape with low level bracken growing around the raised ground around the circle. The associated reaves are in good condition, clear and distinct in the landscape. The site is lightly visited by walkers and grazed by animals. The site is stable. Photo taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, SM19 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 03/08/2019. Photo taken looking north giving an overall view of the hut circle

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

A bank up to circa 1.5 metres wide is visible as an oval earthwork under scrub vegetation on aerial photographs of 1946 and 1964, enclosing a roughly circular hollow or terrace up to circa 5 metres in diameter, south-west of the junction of two reave earthworks on the north-facing slopes of Shaugh Moor.
The visible earthwork is interpreted as the remains of a hut circle of Bronze Age date that probably predates the adjacent reave earthwork.
The bank and hollow remain visible as earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2007 to 2016.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

Hut circle shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1002520 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

The monument includes four stone hut circles with parts of the Saddlesborough reave and the Shaugh Moor coaxial field system on a hillside overlooking the Plym Valley. The four stone hut circles straddle the Saddlesborough reave and three are within narrow rectangular fields which form part of the Shaugh Moor coaxial field system. Two stone hut circles abut the Saddlesborough reave and two separate cross reaves. The stone hut circles vary in size from 4 metres to 8 metres in diameter internally and are composed of a combination of rubble and double stone faced walls standing up to 2 metres wide and 1 metre high.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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