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Summary

A small, slightly ovoid, cairn containing a cist and traces of a former kerb circle. The cairn measures 4.0m N to S by 3.6m in diameter and stands a maximum of 0.3m high. The central cist measures 0.8m NW to SE, between 0.3m and 0.6m wide and remains 0.6m deep. The former coverstone lies to the E. The majority of the spaced kerb stones are visible in the N and E margins of the cairn.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012790: Cairn with a cist south-east of Plym Steps

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66NW42
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441684
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/48
• Old SAM County Ref: 502A
• Old SAM Ref: 10707

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1900, 19th Report of the Barrow Committee, 50 (Article in Serial). SDV231259.

Kistvaen, near Plym Steps. A well preserved example, the sides stand partly above the ground although traces of the covering barrow are distantly visible. The cover stone rests on one of the long sides and partly overhangs the kist. Length of east side 737 millimetres, west side 838 millimetres, width south end 330 millimetres, north end 584 millimetres, dept to floor 610 millimetres.

Ordnance Survey, 1905, 135NE (Cartographic). SDV150290.

Central cist has a reclining cover stone with its east side buried in the ground.

Breton, H. H., 1914, Beautiful Dartmoor and its Interesting Antiquities, 52 (Monograph). SDV256843.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1978, SX66NW42 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV153845.

(17/05/1950) The barrow in which the kistvaen is contained is 5.5 metres in diameter and 0.2 metres high, composed of large stones.
(08/09/1978) A low turf covered cairn situated on a west slope at about 370m OD. It has a diameter of 4.0m and a height of 0.3m with six spaced stones protruding around the perimeter.
The central cist has a reclining cover stone with its east side buried in the ground (see amended Worth plan). Surveyed at 1:10000 on PFD.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 162 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Visited on 18th September 1974. Cairn enclosing cist placed south-south-east to north-north-west, the floor almost level with the ground. According to Breton the cairn has a retaining circle. Diameter 4.5 metres, height 0.2 metres.

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

Not visible on RAF 1946-7 ariel photographs.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 42, 72, D22 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Ring setting 2.4 metres internal diameter around central protruding cist.

Robertson, J. G., 1991, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV166324.

Depicted and described by Robertson.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 148-153, Map 50, Figure 50.2.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Langcombe Brook '8' cairn at SX60426710 of 5.0 metres diameter by 0.2 metres high with a cist is a prominent feature above Plym Steps. The large capstone of the cist propped up against one side makes it conspicuous from a considerable distance. All four sides of the cist are in place as are three members of a retaining circle of large slabs on the north side. Lukis's plan of 1879 shows eight stones, but there were probably nine in the outer ring originally. The cairn was re-excavated in 1900.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

(13/02/2002) SX 60426710. A small, slightly ovoid, cairn containing a cist and traces of a former kerb circle. The cairn measures 4.0m N to S by 3.6m in diameter and stands a maximum of 0.3m high. The central cist measures 0.8m NW to SE, between 0.3m and 0.6m wide and remains 0.6m deep. The former coverstone lies to the E. The majority of the spaced kerb stones are visible in the N and E margins of the cairn.

Cartographic Engineering, 2006, Dartmoor 2006 1:1250 Aerial Photography (digital) (Aerial Photograph). SDV345590.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

'Cairn' with a rectilinear cist shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1012790 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This cairn with a cist lies on a south-west facing slope above the confluence of the River Plym and Langcombe Brook. The cairn is 5.5 metres in diameter and has a retaining kerb of eight stones up to 0.2 metres in height. The coverstone lies on the east side of the cist. The cist is irregular in shape measuring 0.7 metres in length on the east side and 0.8 metres in length on the west side and 0.3 metres in width at the south end and 0.6 metres in width at the north end. It is 0.6 metres in depth. A similar cairn with a cist lies on the opposite side of the Langcombe Brook and there are enclosures with hut circles and a cairn in the vicinity.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape

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