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Summary

Group of four enclosures forming part of enclosed hut settlement. The largest survives as a rubble bank, 3.0 metres wide, 1.1 metres high, surrounding an area 150 metres north-south by 100 metres east-west. The wall was either never finished, or survives as a buried feature along its western side. Within the large enclosure, three smaller contiguous curvilinear enclosures and a number of short lengths of rubble walling have been identified. These enclosures defined by rubble walls, 1.5 metres wide, 0.5 metres high.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1011168: Enclosed stone hut circle settlement 200m east of Leeden Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE42
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440146
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/17/16
• Old SAM Ref: 22285

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1949, RAF 540/226, 5273-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV262351.

A group of four hut circles at SX 564715, ranging from 6.5m - 9.5m diameter, with mainly southern entrances. Visible on air photographs.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE42 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV231363.

(17/07/1980) Centred at SX 56457164 on the southeast slope of Leeden Tor, at about 370m. OD., is a settlement, spread over 1.8 ha. More than half of the area is covered with erosion runnels and surface clitter, (See general/view ground photograph) which thins towards the east and south.
The nucleus of the settlement now consists of three contiguous curvilinear enclosures (see plan), each about 30.0m. across. The walling is of piled large stones and averaged 1.5m. wide and 0.5m. high. Exceptionally it ceases at heavy clitter but usually is carried through it and even across the natural gullies of stones. Each enclosure has one or two gaps with neither orthostats nor retaining slabs at the wall ends, and these may be original entrances. There would seem to have been some clearance but the interiors are strewn with large stones.
A total of twenty huts are identifiable of which ten are of Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19), eight of Type 2(SX 56 NE 71), and two indeterminate. Most are free standing, but the northern enclosure incorporates four huts in its walling (A to D on plan).
'A' of Type 2 has an internal diameter of 6.2m. with double faced walling 2.1m. wide and 0.5m. high, and a rubble subdivision. No entrance can be seen.
'B' of Type 2, is in deep clitter, with an internal diameter of 4.7m. walling 1.2m. wide and 0.4m. high and a southeast entrance to a rubble walled yard.
'C' is probably of Type 1 but is very ruined, appearing as a scoop 2.9m. in diameter with single stones around the perimeter.
'D' may also be of Type 1, with an internal diameter of 3.8m. and walling 1.6m. wide and 0.5m. high. The inner face is partly of coursed stones, the outer of piled rubble.
The detached hut 'E' is also of Type 1 but was obviously disused and piled with clearance.
To the north and east the settlement is bounded by a rubble wall incorporating a few upright posts and slabs and averaging 2.5m. wide and 0.6m. high. It traverses ground which is relatively stone free, as is the interspace of 30.0m., to 50.0m., though the north-western end rests on clitter. The southern termination is a hut, one of four that are either within or near the wall, all of Type 1. There may have been a continuation to the south west and to the reave (SX 57 SE 132) 70.0m. distant but there seems to have been some clearance in the area, epitomised by one large hut which is now merely an earthen scoop. Towards the north corner of the boundary wall, at SX 56507171, there is a possibly original entrance gap (see ground photograph).
Other Type 1 and Type 2 huts are within naturally clear areas in the southwest and beyond the reave, all similar in nature to those described. Exceptional are two Type 1 huts in clitter of SX 56377170 ('F' on plan). Both are of D-plan, 2.8m. and 3.3m. internal diameter, and with walling 1.0m. wide and 0.3m. high. The upper sides back onto massive rocks. No entrances can be seen; (see ground photograph of southern hut).
There is no clearly defined field system associated with the settlement; clear patches or plots within the clitter are not necessarily artificially produced and certainly have no regular boundaries of clearance stone.
Settlement surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:2500.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 10806, 15/5/1992 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Group of four enclosures forming part of enclosed hut settlement. The largest survives as a rubble bank, 3.0 metres wide, 1.1 metres high, surrounding an area 150 metres north-south by 100 metres east-west. The wall was either never finished, or survives as a buried feature along its western side. Within the large enclosure, three smaller contiguous curvilinear enclosures and a number of short lengths of rubble walling have been identified. These enclosures defined by rubble walls, 1.5 metres wide, 0.5 metres high. Much clitter remains in interiors. Area has been extensively used for military training, and foxholes survive throughout area.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 38, Map 45, Figure 45.2 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Leeden Tor East settlement with multiple enclosures and at least fifteen associated hut circles.

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

(29/06/2007) A well preserved mostly enclosed settlement set in a clitter field on an exposed hillslope. The area which is under moorland pasture is free from gorse and bracken vegetation Surveyed at 1:2500.

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

Visited 21/04/2019 A very difficult section to locate features. Enclosure has so much clitter that it is difficult to determine what is bank or rubble in places but obvious in others

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

The enclosures in this settlement are depicted on the modern mapping and appear to match the remains that can be identified from the recent (2010/2015) aerial photographs, so are assumed to be fairly accurate.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1011168 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes four enclosures, 16 stone hut circles and a number of rubble walls arranged within an enclosing boundary and forming an enclosed stone hut circle settlement, situated on a gentle east-facing slope of Leeden Tor overlooking the valley of the River Meavy.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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