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Summary

Cairn cemetery on the south-west side of Whit Hill. A group of nine damaged cairns located on the west-facing slope of White Hill.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1008755: Round cairn 230m south-west of White Hill summit forming part of White Hill round cairn cemetery
• Scheduled Monument 1011449: Ring cairn 460m south-west of White Hill summit, forming part of the White Hill round cairn cemetery
• Scheduled Monument 1011433: Three round cairns 420m south-west of White Hill summit, forming part of White Hill round cairn cemetery
• Scheduled Monument 1011478: Round cairn 340m south-west of White Hill summit, forming part of the White Hill round cairn cemetery
• Scheduled Monument 1008753: Round cairn 300m south-west of White Hill summit, forming part of the White Hill round cairn cemetery
• Scheduled Monument 1011444: Round cairn 380m south-west of White Hill summit, forming part of the White Hill round cairn cemetery
• SHINE: Linear Bronze Age cairn cemetery on the south-west slopes of White Hill

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58SW4
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440672
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SW/3
• Old SAM County Ref: 19
• Old SAM Ref: 20349

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN CEMETERY (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

Four of the cairns shown as 'Tumuli' on 19th century map.

Baring Gould, S., 1888, 10th Report of the Barrow Committee, 47-48 (Article in Serial). SDV222380.

Three out of the five barrows or cairns on White Down were excavated by the Devon Association about 1888. All three were of different Construction but each had a pan or basin, containing ashes and charcoal, scooped out of the original soil. (According to S Baring-Gould, the largest mound was 'the first to the east').

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 4290 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1979, SX58SW4 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV268214.

(24/10/1950) Details given of five barrows or cairns on the side of White Down.
(13/08/1979) SX 530837. Four cairns in a row. One is not on the Ordnance Survey map. Low and flat, it is 12.2m in diameter, 0.6m high and misshapen. The second is dug into, diameter 9.1m height 1.2m. The third has the north side dug away, but the diameter is 12.2m and the height 1.2m. The fourth is a possible disc or else severely robbed. The internal mound is 0.3m high and the outer ring 0.5m high; the total diameter is 60.4m.
A: SX 52948368. A complete ring, 22.0m in external diameter, formed by a bank of earth and small stones 3.8m wide, 0.3m high externally and 0.15m high internally. The slightly raised interior is level except in the north west, where a pit has been dug 4.0m long, 2.0m wide and 0.5m deep; the upcast forms a mound 0.3m high on the west side. This and a small pit in the bank are almost certainly military works. There is no evidence of robbing and while the pit could have coincided with an original off-centre mound it seems more likely that this a simple ring cairn.
B: SX 53008366. A cairn measuring 12.5m east to west and 0.5m high, but much mutilated on the north side. An infilled trench extends from south west to north east.
C: SX 53048365. A cairn measuring 10.2m by 9.2m and 0.6m high with a central pit 4.0m across and 1.1m deep. Very little stone is visible in the sides of this pit.
D: SX 53098364. A cairn, 0.5m high, with a diameter of approximately 13.0m, difficult to ascertain with accuracy because the mound gradually merges into the natural ground level. There is a slight depression in the centre and an east to west cropmark which may denote an infilled trench.
E: SX 53148365. A cairn, 8.6m in diameter and 0.4m high, found during investigation. It has a central pit 4.3m across and 0.5m deep.
F: SX 53018366. First published in 1965 this is a very doubtful cairn and is a mound 6.0m long, 3.0m wide and 0.3m high with traces of a depression to the north east side. It is not recent but gives the impression of an infilled wartime slit-trench.
All the cairns are turf-and heather-covered.
Correlation with Gould (1888) and the Ancient Monuments record form (1959) is uncertain, but the five cairns mentioned by Baring-Gould were possibly (in his east to west order) first SX 58 SW 5),followed by E, D, C, and B. The Ancient Monuments Scheduling document seems also to record from east to west and to apply to D, C, B and A, though A was the cairn not published at that date. (The diameter of 60.4 m is presumably an error of non-conversion from feet).
With the exception of F, which has been deleted all cairns, surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:500 and 1:2000.

Ordnance Survey, 1963-1996, 1963-1996 National Grid OS Metric (Cartographic). SDV350058.

(SX 53028367) Tumuli (NR) (1965 edition).

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 159 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 106-108, Map 32, Figure 32.6 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Over sixty cairns are visible on the slopes of White Hill, grouped into four cemeteries. The cairn cemetery to the south-west of White Hill includes eight cairns laid out in an L-shape. Three were excavated by Baring-Gould in around 1888. Despite their comparatively large size he only found a shallow pit dug into the subsoil at the centre of each containing charcoal and ashes.

Probert, S. + Fletcher, M. + Newman, P., 1998, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon: An Archaeological survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (Report - Survey). SDV350638.

(10/08/1998) A group of damaged cairns spread out in a line across the west-facing slope of White Hill between 354m and 366m above OD.
SX52948368. A fine ring cairn some 19.5m by 18.5m overall with a pronounced stony bank spread from 4.2m to 5.8m wide. This bank 0.5m high externally and 0.4m high internally is weak in the south quadrant.
An off-centre military slit trench now 0.5m deep is accompanied by an 0.4m high linear upcast bank.
SX53005466. A damaged round cairn 12.9m E-W by 10.8 although the north side has been truncated by extensive military activity. The average height of the mound is 0.85m and the line of the infilled excavation trench is still obvious.
SX53058365. A disturbed round cairn 8.5m diameter and 0.95m high. A central hollow 4.4m across and up to 1.1m deep, possibly dug in two phases, has upcast spoil on its N and S sides.
SX53098364. A disturbed round cairn 12.2m in diameter; 0.9m high on the downhill side and 0.2m high on the uphill side. The flat-topped mound has a slight depression possibly an infilled trench; a perimeter ditch is not traceable.
SX53148364. A damaged round cairn 9.5m by 8.5m and 0.35m high. A central hollow 3.5m across and 0.3m deep has an upcast mound on the south side.
SX53028365. An amorphous linear stony bank 9.0m long up to 3.6m wide and a maximum 0.45m high is most probably the remains of military activity, perhaps a slit trench. It could possibly be the remains of an extensively damaged cairn as suggested.
SX53018364. A round cairn 3.8m in diameter and 0.35m high. There is no trace of a kerb.
The cairns are composed of sandstone, shales and soil and are covered by heather moorland.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour aerial photography for Dartmoor (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Cairns visible on aerial photograph.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

White Hill cairn cemetery is covered by six separate listings.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8448 - Excavation of cairns at White Hill
• EDV7368 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy (1998)
• EDV6663 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6664 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6665 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8141 - Condition survey of the Willsworthy Training Area

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