See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Stone circle south-east of Little Hound Tor. The White Moor or Whitmoor Stone Circle. Diameter of 20.2 metres and circle comprises 18 stones, of which one has fallen and another is leaning. The stones are between 0.3 to 1.15 metres high, though several have had their tops broken off. Five of the stones were re-erected by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee and these may be those which have a fresher appearance than the others. A small round cairn lies 5.0 metres south-west of the stone circle and the White Moor Stone 150 metres south-east may originally have been associated with the circle.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1010786: Stone circle and cairn 330m south of Little Hound Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68NW2
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443694
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NW/6
• Old SAM County Ref: 484
• Old SAM Ref: 24136

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Prowse, A. B., 1890, Notes on the Neighbourhood of Taw Marsh, North Dartmoor, 189 (Article in Serial). SDV239781.

Circle now has 13 stones, originally probably 20. Other details: Figure 4.

Baring Gould, S., 1896, Presidential Address, 181-2 (Article in Serial). SDV88642.

Stone circle has suffered from turf cutters having skimmed the surface of its natural coating. Several stones have sunk in the peat. Originally consisted of 19 stones. One has been broken up, four have been broken off. A distant gap in the continuation of the circle. The stone on the east side of this gap, and the stone which is the largest in the circle, are in due line north-south and point south to the White Moorstone. No evidence could be found of there having been an upright in the gap. Other details: 2/3rd Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/138, 5460-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV238391.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2082, 3381-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV295065.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX68NW2 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV239783.

(Site visited 9/8/1950) No sign of the barrow within the circle. Circle consisting of 19 stones one of which is fallen, one leaning, the remainder standing. This stone circle has the appearance of having been "restored" as some stones have a 'weathered and prehistoric' look about them and others are rectangular in shape with practically no weathering at all; and the stones, with one exception quoted above, are very regularly spaced. In fact this circle can be compared with Grey Wethers stone circles, which are known to have been "restored".

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV345608.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visit 6th August 1982.

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

Circle visible on 1947 Royal Air Force aerial photograph possibly due to erosion.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visit 6th March 1986.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 54-6, 81 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Stone circle 20 meters in diameter, comprising 18 stones. There is also an outlier to the south-south-east. Aligns with Scorhill stone circle. Only Dartmoor circle with an entrance. Sited at Taw/Teign watershed. Other details: Figure 23, G11.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 203-4, 232, Map 40, Figure 40.5 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Little Hound Tor stone circle at SX632896 of 20.2 metres diameter with 18 stones circa 2 metres apart with an average height 0.5 metres. Stone circle south of Cosdon Hill appears in good condition and interior appears undamaged. Some of the stones have had their tops broken off. A cairn lies close by which has been dug into. The White Moor stone 150 meters to the south-east is a boundary marker which may have originally been an outlying stone associated with the circle.

Gerrard, S., 1993, Untitled Source, 133286 (Un-published). SDV239789.

Stone circle south-east of Little Hound Tor, on White Moorstone Down. Diameter 20.2 meters. Includes 18 stones, of which one has fallen and another is leaning. Stones are evenly spaced at roughly 3.0 meter intervals and vary in size from 0.3 meters to 1.15 meters high, though several have had their tops broken off. Two gaps in the regular spacing of the stones, strongly suggests that two stones are missing and that there may therefore have originally been 20 stones. Slight undulations within the interior of the circle are probably the result of 19th century turf stripping as it is known that the Ddartmoor Exploration Committee who investigated the monument in 1896 did not excavate this area. Five stones were re-erected by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee and these may be those which have a fresher appearance than the others.
Four cairns and a standing stone lying within the immediate environs of this circle are probably associated with it.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

'Stone circle' depicted on the modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

This monument includes a stone circle and small cairn situated on a saddle between the two Hound Tors overlooking Raybarrow Pool and the valley of the Small Brook. The diameter of the stone circle is 20.2 meters and it includes 18 stones, of which one has fallen and another is leaning. The stones are evenly spaced at roughly 3.0 meter intervals and vary in size from 0.3 to 1.15 meters high, though several have had their tops broken off. Slight undulations within the interior of the circle are probably the result of 19th century turf stripping. Five of the stones were re-erected by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee and these may be those which have a fresher appearance than the others.
A small round cairn lies 5.0 meters south-west of the stone circle and survives as a circular mound 2.0 meters in diameter and 0.15 meters high. A further cairn lying 70 meters to the south east of the monument is the subject of a separate scheduling (scheduled 1962, amended 1995). Other details: SAM ID: 24136.

Cunis, E, 2020, Update on the stone circle condition of the Whitmoor Stone Circle (Worksheet). SDV363724.

(20/06/2020) The area around each stone in Whitmoor stone circle is showing signs or erosion; many of the stones are potentially at risk of falling. At a key crossroads point on two major tracks, it receives a lot of visitors, which may be taking a toll. Possible maintenance work required.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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