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Summary

This hut was excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in the late 19th century and was considered interesting enough to merit a full two days investigation; unusual for the time. This hut measures 8.8 metres in diameter and has a massive dividing partition of layered slabs and prominent inner and outer door-posts flanking the corridor-like entrance. Sherds of pottery recovered, as well as flint, cooking stones and fragments of slate.

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

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/90
• Old SAM County Ref: 938
• Old SAM Ref: 24108
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1898, Fifth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 101-103, plate 1 (Article in Serial). SDV337066.

Hut 2 (south of Hut 1) measures 6.7 metres in diameter (north-south), 5.9 metres (east-west) and has been constructed with a semi-circular outer wall protecting the northern half of the dwelling. Both arms of the semi-circle embrace the southern half of the wall of the circle, and are therein merged, so that it is not quite a circle within another, although it appears this way at first sight.
The hut circle wall measures 1.2 metres in width, the width of the wall of the semicircle due north is 1.5 metres and at this point the space between the two walls is 1.4 metres. No sign of habitation found in the semi-circular space, and the Committee surmise this was probably built for protection of the hut below it from surface water. Author concedes this arrangement is unusual and may be an incorrect explanation.
The entrance to the hut faces south-south-west and is unusually massive. The wall at the entrance is 1.5 metres thick. On the east side of the door is a fine stone (1.4 metres high, 0.7 metres at base, tapering to 0.3 metres at top), which forms an outer jamb, which projects from the outer wall of the entrance. Another stone forms the inner jamb, flush with the inner wall (measures 0.9 metres in height). The corresponding inner jamb on the west side of the doorway is standing (1 metre high, 0.7 metres at widest). The outer jamb on this side has been removed. The lintel was evidently placed over the inner stones, so that the entrance must have been about 0.9 metres high and 0.6 metres wide.
The outer standing stones may have supported a porch. Outside this is a paved plateau, composed of rough flat stones, over 4.2 metres wide nearest the entrance. A trench 1.2 metres wide was excavated from the entrance outwards and the following finds were made; Two fragments of flint, a river stone, and five small rough pieces of slate here. Deep pits were dug to the east and west of the paved area with the hope of finding middens, but none were discovered.
Excavation of the hut commenced from the entrance and the paving was found to continue a little way inside the hut area. Sherds of undecorated pottery were found under the western wall.
More pottery sherds were found about 0.6 metres from the centre of the hut towards the northern part of circle and the bottom of a cooking pot (plate 1) was found resting on the ‘calm’ or natural ground level. Diameter of 27 centimetres and the inside bottom strengthened by ridges crossing each other at right angles and forming a cross. These ridges are 2.5 centimetres wide and raised 6 millimetres above the bottom. There was a good deal of charcoal around the pot, but no cooking hole could be made out nearby.
Although most usually cooking holes had been discovered in the lower sections of huts, in this case three cooking holes were excavated in the higher, northern part of the hut. The first measured 0.45 metres long, 0.30 metres wide and 0.22 metres deep and contained some charcoal, the second measures 0.45 metres long, 0.51 metres wide and 0.35 metres deep and contained a lot of charcoal. The third pit was a double example, like a big-waisted figure 8; one was 0.25 by 0.35 metres, the other was 0.22 by 0.25 metres and the connecting ‘waist’ was 0.22 metres wide. The pits were 0.25 and 0.38 metres deep. A good quantity of charcoal, a broken cooking stone and sherds representing about one-third of a shallow vessel were found in them.
A round hole was found in the hut, similar to that at Cullacombe, Shapley Common. This was not thought to be a post-hole from a roof support as it was not sufficiently central to the hut. Further finds included two fragments of flint, two more cooking stones, and some fragments of slate, which were probably the remains of a pot coverer.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE41, Hut circle 'I', 25/8/1950 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV276070.

(SX5668 7285) One of a group of 17 hut circles, given the letter 'I'. Double wall type. Wall in good condition with turf covered top diameter 7.5 metres, wall width 2.0 metres, height 0.7 metres. To north-east is crescent shape outer wall of large boulders, whose construction differs widely from that of hut wall, possibly as pen for animals, as it is on lee side of hut, away from prevailing winds. Condition good. Entrance on south side.

Fox, A., 1958, Twenty-Fourth Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon, 218, fig 35 (Article in Serial). SDV341823.

Yes Tor Bottom, Hut 2. Sherds of Bronze Age pottery, rim, base and wall sherds, but reconstruction not possible. The ware is dark brown with lighter brown outer surface and dark inside. The surfaces, especially the outer and the inner close to the rim, have originally been smooth, but some are now badly weathered on the inside. There is a considerable amount of yellowish white stone gritting of the fabric. The pot is decorated in fine double cord technique. The sherds present a precise parallel to some pottery from the middle bronze age occupation site at trevisker round, st. Eval, cornwall. The st. Eval pottery belongs probably to the middle phase of the site's occupation, probably in the period 1250-1000 B.C.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152562 & 152563, 21/3/2000 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Hut circle forming part of a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement at Yes Tor Bottom, 1120 metres east-north-east of Criptor.
Diameter measures 9.4 metres. Double orthostat wall 1.8 metres wide, 1.45 metres high. A 200 degree facing gap denoted by two large orthostats on the east-south-east. A later smaller hut was built within the southern part of this building. Grass covered.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 18-21, fig 44.2 and 44.2.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

This hut measures 8.8 metres in diameter and has a massive dividing partition of layered slabs quite unlike the vertical slab structure of the exterior wall and prominent inner and outer door-posts flanking the corridor-like entrance.

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

Depicted on the modern mapping.

Various, 2018-2019, PALs Condition Recording forms (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 22/04/2019 SX 56671 72859. Reeds; molinia; 10% gorse Good condition. Photos X 2

Various, 2018-2019, PALs Condition Recording photographs (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 22/04/2019 2 photos taken

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV3199 - POT (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Events: none recorded

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