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Summary

A large free-standing hut circle with a small external enclosure on the southern slopes of Legis Tor. The hut survives in very good condition with many sections of wall surviving in-situ, though the interior is strewn with displaced stones. The walls were constructed with inner and outer faces created from upright slabs, many still visible, and were up to 1.6m wide and 0.8m high, though the overall spread of the ruined walls is between 3 and 4m. On the SE side of the circle, an additional kerb of stones is visible, giving an extra 1.5m of thickness to the walls.
The internal diameter is 8.1m. An entrance opening of 0.9m wide survives on the south side, lined with stone. Attached to the eastern exterior is a small, semi-circular loop enclosure, 7.3m by 4.3m, with low walls now spread to 3m in places. Similarly on the northern exterior, a faint loop of stones marks another semi-circular pen of 5m by 4.2 and a low right-angled wall defines an open-ended space of 5m by 2.1m on the western side (2022 survey description).
Gerrard (1993) records three annexes (on north, east and west) of the hut; the 2018 survey records one on the west side of the hut.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019876: Prehistoric settlement, three round cairns and a post-medieval rabbit warren at Legis Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE153
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/536/3
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 22289(P)
• Old SAM Ref: 10705
• Pastscape: 438929

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)
• SHELTER (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Late Medieval - 2200 BC? (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Hut circle shown on 19th century map.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130846 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(22/02/1993) Stone hut circle forming part of an extensive prehistoric settlement. Terraced into the hillslope and of the annex plan and coursed walling type. The interior measures 9.5m in diameter and is defined by a 2.4m wide wall standing up to 1.4m high. A number of stones set on edge forming distinct lines within the room suggests that there may once have been a partition or that the hut was later re-used as shelter.
Three annexes are attached to the outer face of the hut. The interior of the annex attached to the western wall of the hut measures 4m long by 2.3m wide and is defined by a 1m wide and 0.5m high partly coursed wall. The northern annex measures 6m long by 5m wide and the surrounding wall is 1m wide and 0.3m high. The eastern annex, is the largest of the three and measures 8m long by 6m wide and is surrounded by a 1m wide and 0.4m high, partly coursed rubble wall.
The doorway leading from the hut faces south and is partly blocked with loose rubble. A 2m wide and 0.4m high linear spread of rubble leading downslope from the w edge of the hut probably represents a field boundary, although clitter lines within this area make positive identification difficult.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 111-4, Map 49, Figure 49.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Hut Circle '11' of 8.6 metres diameter is a large free standing hut between Settlements 'A' and 'B' at Legis Tor. A cross wall divides the interior and some of the massive wall slabs have fallen out of position.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360209.

Visible.

Probert, S., 2005, Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV363484.

(07/02/2005) Centred SX 5715 6528. Three hut circles and an enclosure on the southern flank of Legis Tor above the right bank of the River Plym (see related records).
SX 5713 6530. A well-built hut circle 8.0m in internal diameter with upright slab and boulder walls 2.0m wide and 1.1m high. A possible entrance lies in the east side. The interior has been partially infilled with clearance stone during a later period.

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

Visible on aerial photograph.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Ringmoor Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361636.

Recorded in survey with western annex.

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

Hut circle shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1019876 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

Within Scheduled area.

Newman, P., 2022, Ringmoor Down Premier Archaeological Landscape Dartmoor National Park, Devon. A new survey, Table 1 (Report - Survey). SDV365490.

A large free-standing hut circle with a small external enclosure on the southern slopes of Legis Tor.
SX 57126 65309. A large free-standing hut circle with a small external enclosure on the southern slopes of Legis Tor. The hut survives in very good condition with many sections of wall surviving in-situ, though the interior is strewn with displaced stones. The walls were constructed with inner and outer faces created from upright slabs, many still visible, and were up to 1.6m wide and 0.8m high, though the overall spread of the ruined walls is between 3 and 4m. On the SE side of the circle, an additional kerb of stones is visible, giving an extra 1.5m of thickness to the walls.
The internal diameter is 8.1m. An entrance opening of 0.9m wide survives on the south side, lined with stone. Attached to the eastern exterior is a small, semi-circular loop enclosure, 7.3m by 4.3m, with low walls now spread to 3m in places. Similarly on the northern exterior, a faint loop of stones marks another semi-circular pen of 5m by 4.2 and a low right-angled wall defines an open-ended space of 5m by 2.1m on the western side. The hut is part of an extensive complex of prehistoric settlement and enclosure spread over the southern slopes of Legis Tor in the Plym valley (MDV3326).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7443 - Condition survey of archaeological sites in Ringmoor Training Area
• EDV7569 - Condition survey of Ringmoor Down training area
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8917 - Survey of the archaeological features on Ringmoor Down

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