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Summary

Hut was excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in the late 19th century. Fragments of prehistoric cooking pot, flint and charcoal recovered, as well as 14th/15th century pottery from re-use by late medieval tinners. Hut measures 8.2 metres in diameter. Double orthostat wall 1.9 metres wide, 1.3 metres high. A south-south-west facing gap represents a doorway. Grass and rushes.

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/91
• 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, 99-101 (Article in Serial). SDV337066.

Hut 1 (that nearest to the railway) was excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee.
A fine example, measuring 8.2 metres (north-south), by 8.1 metres (east-west). The wall is double faced with a core of small stones and earth between (measures 1.2 metres wide). On the western side, the wall measures between 0.9 - 1.2 metres in height and would have been a perfect example if not for the stone-cutters who have used and moved a lot of stone, piling large stones against the inside western circumference of the circle.
Excavation commenced at the ruined entrance, which faces south-south-west where a pavement of rough flat stones in entrance was encountered that continued a little way inside the hut. Stone-cutter's spalls and small pieces of tin slag found, about 0.15 metres deep. Fragments of a mug or jug of highly-glazed ware and more slag were found under a stone, fallen from wall of hut. Sherds dated by the British Museum as 14th-early 15th century late medieval period. Tin streaming was extensively carried out in the Yes Tor Bottom area.
'Calm' was reached at a depth of around 0.5 metres, the prehistoric floor of the hut resting on this natural level. The rim and two fragments of a cooking pot were found at this level with chevron ornamentation and one fragment of flint and a flake were also found. There was a cooking hole nearly in centre of circle (0.6 metres long, 0.43 metres wide, 0.4 metres deep), with three cooking stones and much charcoal in it. No regular hearth or fireplace was found but the floor of the hut was strewn with wood charcoal.

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 356-357 (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

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

(25/8/1950) One of a group of 17 hut circles, given the letter F. Double wall type, in excellent condition. Diameter 9.5 metres, wall width 1.75 metres, height 1.0 metres. Walls of large slabs of granite. Entrance on south side.

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

Not visible on the National Monuments Record aerial photographs.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP152558, 21/3/2000 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Stone hut circle forming part of a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement at Yes Tor Bottom, 1120 metres east-north-east of Criptor.
Diameter 8.2 metres. Double orthostat wall 1.9 metres wide, 1.3 metres high. A 193 degree facing gap represents a doorway. Grass and rushes. This hut was reused in the medieval period.

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

Depicted on plan as hut 1 by Butler.

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

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

Visited 22/04/2019 Reed inundation 90% Livestock damage on outer NE wall. 0.7m pit near internal entrance (maybe livestock). Photos taken X 2. Poor condition

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

Visited 22/04/2019 2 photos taken showing livestock damage and internal reed inundation

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV7014 - POT (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)
• FDV7015 - JUG (XIII to XV - 1300 AD to 1450 AD)

Associated Events: none recorded

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