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Summary

Saddlesborough main reave crosses shaldon moor and disappears on a steep slope above the plym (collis).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SW/332

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• REAVE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Collis, J., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV144084.

Saddlesborough main reave crosses shaldon moor and disappears on a steep slope above the plym (collis).

ENCLOSURE C, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171713.

This reave is truncated at its eastern end by a china clay pit, and is also in part overwhelmed by blanket bog, but for most of its course it is of normal reave construction. Near the wotter-cadover bridge road it is heavily robbed, but its line is continued west of the road by a modern enclosure wall. On west down above the plym valley the modern enclosure wall and the reave diverge, and the reave ends in the steep slopes above the plym valley. Two sets of parallel reaves come off the saddleborough main reave. These are of slighter construction than the main reave. Reaves 2 and 4 fade away at their southwestern ends, until in places they are little more than scarps. The whole system shows an interesting change of orientation south of the banked enclosure (enclosure c). The easternmost, reave 1, which runs to 'collard tor' seems to have an earlier phase which goes from the tor down to the head of a small stream - the two banks which run parallel to one another can hardly be contemporary, nor can they form the two sides of a track as they run from the stream up to a zone of very dense clitter adjacent to the tor, so that from neither end is the area accessible. Constructionally later than reave 4 is reave 3 which circles round the banked enclosure and then runs parallel with the main system. Unusually the northern part of its length contains many orthostats, but it too gradually fades away at its southwestern end.

NMR, CITING COLLIS 1978, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171714.

Field system 1 consists of four parallel boundaries which have their origin in saddlesborough main reave, and run parallel with the parallel reaves. Constructionally they are slighter than the reaves, and frequently contain small orthostats. In other places they are little more than scarps. There are several cross-banks of similar construction, but no cross bank to form the south-western limit of the system. There are also several other cross-banks of yet slighter construction, some 30cm wide and 10cm high which tend to run on a slightly different orientation, though most of them respect the field boundaries. The fields contain a number of boulders, and they are not suitable for plough cultivation, but, if they were not used for penning stock, spade cultivation is a possibility. They are presumably contemporary with the adjacent hut circles (nmr, citing collis 1978).

SEE 1:2500 PLAN, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171716.

The wall and enclosed land cease at sx55226350 for the first 200m of moorland the reave has been largely destroyed by robbing,(see 1:2500 plan); but from sx55386340 it continues in an almost unbroken and slightly sinuous course over the saddlesborough ridge to peat digging at sx56376286 which has destroyed the reave for 180m. It re-appears at sx56536279 and continues to sx56306290 where it is being eroded by the enlargement of clay workings.

NMR, CITING OS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171717.

Ceremonial monuments appear to be confined to the ne side of the boundary work while habitation sites occur to the ne and to the sw within the parallel reave system, which occupies the w and sw slopes of the saddlesborough ridge. The area containing parallel reaves is about 90ha of which only 12ha incorporate the field system, centred at sx552631. Of this area the sw half is cut by numerous holloways and tracks and currently covered with dense bracken which renders certain identification of the fields impossible. The ne half is comparatively clear of impediments but only the outstanding banks have been portrayed at 1:2500 (nmr, citing os).

NMR, CITING BALLAM ET AL 1981, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171718.

In 1980 excavations were undertaken along the reave between the bog near the lee moor china clay works and the break of slope below saddlesborough, and showed that the reave had two constuction phases: phase 1: in the wetter areas at the lower, southeastern end, the boundary was marked by a ditch alone. Northwest of the bog it was accompanied by a bank on the north side, in places supported by a wooden construction, possibly a fence. At the extreme northwest end, the bank and ditch were replaced by a free-standing timber boundary. Phase ii: these varying types of construction were replaced by a continuous stone wall flanked by the phase i ditch which was allowed to silt up. Fully illustrated report (nmr, citing ballam et al 1981).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171719.

Collis,j. /pdas/41(1983)55, 60, figs 1.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171720.

Des=rchm app 1985.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171721.

Fleming,a. /the dartmoor reaves/(1988)29, 40, 56, figs 5, 22.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171722.

Collis,j. /bar/48(1978)23-4.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV171723.

Ballam,n. D. Et al/pps/48(1982)203-78;illus.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Untitled Source (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV24.

Vis=9/9/1080 (os) from approximately sx54486386 above the r. Plym the saddlesborough reave extends in a se direction through north wood and pasture land to within 60m of sx54746375 where a modern wall takes up the alignment. Air photographs show parallel reaves extending sw from the reave and the wall, on what was formerly shaden moor.

RCHM, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV7666.

Visible on rchm app overlay running c sx54996363 - sx54736375 (rchm).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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