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Summary

The most northerly of four cairns on the slope of Raddick Hill above the Devonport Leat of 6.5 metres diameter by 0.8 metres high. A cairn set low down on the rim of a dry valley but with distant views of the many surrounding granite tor summits. The trench is cut across the top of the mound which is under moorland turf.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007428: Round cairn 280m north-east of Raddick Hill summit

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE21
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440085
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/84
• Old SAM County Ref: 933C
• Old SAM Ref: 22232

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

Cairn marked on Ordnance Survey First Edition map.

Worth, R. H., 1899, 18th Report of the Barrow Committee, 98-9 (Article in Serial). SDV339157.

Barrow with a cist found in it, cover stone partially removed; it had been rifled. A small thin corroded piece of bronze was found in the cist.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 113, 114, 115, 122, 131 Fig. p. 114 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Cairn' is marked on the Ordnance Survey 6 inch early 20th century (1906) historic map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE21 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV276948.

(21/02/1950) Cairn, turf covered.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX57SE21 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV276951.

(12/09/1977) The published cairn is on a slight west slope at 370m above sea level and comprises a turf covered mound of stones 5.0m in diameter with no visible kerb. It is 0.6m high on the west side and 0.3m high on the east.
There is a very slight hollow in the centre which seems too small to be the result of serious excavation. Although it is a cairn it does not seem to be that recorded in 1899 for this situation although it may be the one which had been 'previously disturbed', (SX 57 SE 22). Surveyed at 1:10 000 PFD.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(25/04/1973) Diameter 6.5 metres, height 0.9 metres. Either this or possibly SX57SE/73 is that excavated by Burnard. The bronze object - possibly a knife-dagger - is now lost. Other details: 174.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV342809.

Field Monument Warden visit. 20/7/1982

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

Not visible on the 1946 aerial photographs used in the project.

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

(1992) Cairn mound 7.0 metres in diameter, 1.2 metres high. A hollow in centre of the mound, measuring 2.0 metres long, 0.5 metres wide and 0.1 metres deep, suggests partial early excavation or robbing.
The site is described by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee as being the one in which a cist containing a piece of bronze was found. It is however more likely that SX57SE/73 is the provenance of this find because that cairn more closely fits the description given in the excavation report.

Gerrard, S., 1993-2010, Monument Protection Programme Alternative Action Report (Report - non-specific). SDV145710.

The cairn could not be located during field investigation (undated).

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 61, 208, Map 46 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Raddick Hill Summit cairn '4' at SX58097130 of 6.5 metres diameter by 0.8 metres high. A heather covered cairn a little over 200 metres from its neighbour and is neatly trenched from the edge to the centre although apparently not during the excavations by Burnard.

Morgan, F. C., 1995, Cairn and cist on Raddick Hill (Worksheet). SDV344935.

Cairn and cist situated on open moor land west-north-west of Cramber Tor, measuring 16 metres in diameter and 1.6 metres high. The cist is approximately 1.2 metres in length by 0.6-0.9 metres in width and is east-west orientated. A cap stone remains in position over half of the cist and is covered with loose granite. This description conflicts with Grinsell's observations (1978) and Butler's description of the site (1994) - possible confusion between features.

Fletcher, M. J., 2007-2008, Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV359195.

(05/09/2007) A cairn set low down on the rim of a dry valley but with distant views of the many surrounding granite tor summits. The trench is cut across the top of the mound which is under moorland turf. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

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

Visible.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-115 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 23/12/2019. Overall condition very good. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-115 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 23/12/2019. Overall condition very good. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-115 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 340° showing grass/moss/whortleberry cover.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-115 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 340° showing grass/moss/whortleberry cover.

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

'Cairn' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1007428 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes a round cairn situated on a gentle north-west facing slope of Cramber Tor overlooking the valley of the Hart Tor Brook. The cairn mound measures 7 metres in diameter and stands up to 1.2 metres high. A hollow in the centre of the mound suggests partial early excavation or robbing. The site was described by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee as being the one in which a cist containing a piece of bronze was found. It is however more likely that the platform cairn 220 metres to the south-west is the true provenance of this find.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8425 - Excavation at cairn on Raddick Hill

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