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Summary

Part of an agglomerated enclosure, this area surrounding two hut circles. Irregular enclosure wall that is in fairly good condition. This smaller north-western enclosure measures 36 metres east-west and 48 metres north-south predates the larger, south-eastern enclosure (MDV4965).

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019587: Partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement south of Foggintor Quarries, 1140m ENE of Criptor
• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains on Walkhampton Common including 19th century Swelltor and Foggintor Quarries, a section of the early 19th century Plymouth and Dartmoor Tramway, later converted to railway, also streamworks along the Yes Tor Brook

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE41
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440143
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/86
• Old SAM County Ref: 938
• Old SAM Ref: 24108(P)
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX57SE41

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• TINNERS CACHE (XIV to XV - 1301 AD (Between) to 1500 AD (Between))
• TINNERS HUT (XIV to XV - 1301 AD (Between) to 1500 AD (Between))

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1898, Fifth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 99-103 plate 1 (Article in Serial). SDV337066.

Enclosures and hut circles, Yes Tor Bottom, Princetown. Six hut circles in an irregular enclosure, and five outside between the enclosure and the field on the west, which has in its north-east corner a single hut circle.

Worth, R. H., 1943, The Prehistoric Pounds of Dartmoor, 287-88 plate 29 fig 10 (Article in Serial). SDV320337.

A group of huts with enclosures (Plan) examined in 1897/8. Notable finds were charcoal, pot boilers, rubbing stones, a flint scraper and pottery. Two of the sherds had chevron ornamentation. The most north-westerly hut (No 1 on Plan) yielded tin slag and highly glazed pottery (dated 14th/15th century by the British Museum). No other Medieval occupation evidence was found, so secondary use as a temporary refuge by tinners is assumed.

Worth, R. H., 1945, The Dartmoor Hut Circles, 251 fig. 4 (Article in Serial). SDV246120.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE41 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV276070.

(25/8/1950) Group of 17 hut circles and an enclosure at Yes Tor Bottom. Two pounds enclosing 2.5 acres. The downslope sides are lynchetted with accumulations of up to 0.5 metres. The larger enclosure is an addition to the smaller enclosure of 0.5 acre. Contains five visible huts and a further two lie to the west in another possible enclosure (citing Ralegh-Radford?).

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1953, Prehistoric Settlements on Dartmoor and the Cornish Moors, 64-65, 74, 82 (Article in Serial). SDV337080.

Royal Air Force, 1964, F62/58/6399, 042-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV272301.

National Monument Record, 1976, SX5672, 2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV267145.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE41 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV225969.

(29/07/1980) On a slope around 358 metres OD., are two conjoined enclosures with internal and external huts, in an area in which surface quarrying has taken place.
The small north-western enclosure measures 36 metres east-west and 48 metres north-south predates the larger to the south-east. Both have double faced orthostatic walling with rubble infill measuring 1.6 metres wide and generally 0.7 metres high. There are several entrance gaps but it is uncertain which are original features.
Within the enclosures are five type 2 huts and four similar ones are outside to the west. All have levelled interiors with diameters ranging from 4.0m. to 8.3m. and walling averaging 1.2m. wide and 0.6m.high.
The entrances are mainly to the south. Two huts have yards or annexes on their north-east. Two are subdivided, one with a circular structure within the main hut. Constructional differences occur with huts at 'A', SX 56697294, and 'B', SX 56677285 which have coursed Type 3 walling; the former has been adopted by tinner's (2 and 3), while the latter has an outer protective wall.
To the north of the group in clitter are the poor remains of two Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19) huts, 2.8m. in diameter internally, with walling 0.7m. thick and 0.3m. high but with no visible entrances. They are joined by low rubble walling, 0.6m. wide and 0.3m. high, which is mostly hidden by the turf and clitter (see also SX 57 SE 133).
Surveyed at 1:10 000 and 1:2500 for AO Records.

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

An agglomerated enclosure of two main elements is visible on the 1964 and 1976 aerial photographs, containing six hut circles, one of them attached to an internal wall. Four hut circles are freestanding outside the enclosure.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 18-20, fig 44.2 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Depicted and described by Butler. Despite numerous entrance gaps, the irregular enclosure wall if remarkably complete; unlike the remains to the west.

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

(25/07/2007) The well-defined remains of an enclosed settlement of five huts with a group of four large huts located outside to the west. A small hut lies to the north of the enclosure. The settlement is situated at the foot of a clitter-covered slope in moorland grass (some areas close-cropped) with scattered clumps of gorse and reed. Some of the huts have double-faced walls whilst others have single faces. The largest hut, with an internal diameter of 9m and constructed of large moorland boulders and slabs, has a 6m diameter building cut into its interior. A hut on the south-west side with an internal diameter of 7.5m has a massive boulder/slab wall 1.6 m wide. The smallest hut has a 3m internal diameter and a low boulder/stone wall. The enclosure wall, a rubble bank, has been disturbed and cut through in many places. There is widespread evidence of stone cutting and stone digging. Investigated and surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Enclosure is depicted on the modern mapping, which matches the 2015 aerial photographs and is assumed to be fairly accurate.

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

Visited 22/04/2019 Banks are in good condition but area is becoming overwhelmed with molinia

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8424 - Excavation at Yes Tor Bottom

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