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Summary

Southern of two prehistoric enclosures in prehistoric settlement to the north of Hook Lane in the Erme Valley containing one hut circle and several internal walls creating 'pens' (these were previously recorded as hut circles).

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002493: Stone row, cairn and enclosures near Hook Lane, Erme Valley

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66NW50
• National Monuments Record: SX66NW51
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441711
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441714
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/51/3
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/56
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/56/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 319

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Spence Bate, C., 1870-1871, On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor, 502 (Article in Serial). SDV277110.

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

Enclosure shown on 19th century map with larger stones on the east side; features abutting the southern part of the enclosure wall shown (labelled as 'hut circles'); these are described as courts by the Ordnance Survey in the 1950s.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 397 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Worth, R. H., 1943, The Prehistoric Pounds of Dartmoor, 288 (Article in Serial). SDV320337.

Royal Air Force, 1946, CPE/UK 1890, 4277-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV140289.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1978, SX66NW51 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV153208.

(08/05/1950) SX 6406 6512 These are courts and not hut circles and were probably used to stockade small animals.

National Monuments Record, 1976, SX6465 (Aerial Photograph). SDV151191.

Photograph taken on 22nd April 1976.

Hankin, C. F., 1977-1980, Harford Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV149931.

Site visited on 21st July 1976 and 17th August 1978. A large enclosure, roughly square with rounded corners, the sides 80 metres in length. The south wall, nearest Stony Bottom, curves inwards and makes the shape seem irregular. The walls are complete, although the east wall has been somewhat broken down. Walls with height up to 1 metre with a spread to a width of circa 3 metres. Some stones in the wall are 2 metres and more in length. There is a gateway in the east part of the wall. The wall described by Ccrossing as running north to south in the western part of the enclosure is not very clear. Two 'courts' can be traced in the south east corner, one being 18.5 metres by 15 metres, the other smaller and adjoining the first is less well defined, both are bounded by the south wall of the enclosure. Outside the east wall, towards the south part, a low wall runs out for about 8 metres, and circa 28 metres further south there are traces of a similar wall running out from the enclosure. Between these two little walls there are traces of stones which suggest that there may have been a 'court' about 10 metres wide outside the east wall of the enclosure.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SX66NW50 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV153144.

(14/01/1978) At about 380m OD on a south-west facing slope above the river Erme is an enclosure of approximately 0.75 hectares, with walling of average width of 2.5m - 3.0m and a maximum height of 1.0m, constructed of large boulders with some orthostats. Attached to the north-west side of the enclosure is a yard and two hut circles (see SX 66 NW 49).
Within the enclosure is a hut circle, oval rather than circular in shape, with a maximum internal measurement of 3.7m a thickness of wall of 1.0m and an entrance on the south-west side. The walling is largely orthostatic. There is no evidence of stone clearance within the enclosure. The area is naturally fairly open and clear of rocks. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.
(14/01/1978) There are no surveyable traces of these hut-circles depicted on the Ordnance Survey mapping at SX 64066512.

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

Agglomerated and partitioned enclosure visible on the aerial photographs with two hut circles inside. The enclosure of 0.5 hectares has three elements, and has been cut by an openwork.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 71, Map 55, Figure 55.4 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Enclosure at 'Hook Lake North 1' is one of a pair of enclosures known as 'Erme Pound Rings'. Thr east wall of the enclosure incorporates the stones of the nearest stone row to the east in its facing, most of them now hidden by the collapsed wall. The boundary is 3.0 metres wide of large blocks with regularly arranged footings. Single slab walls divide the interior into a number of courts along the west lower side but there are very few builbings within. A slightly oval Hut Circle '1' at circa 3.4 metres diameter and another Hut Circle '2'in the southern corner. Hut Circle '3' at 6.0 metres diameter is well preserved on the north side of a yard on the north side of the enclosure. The inner facings and coursed exterior are 1.6 metres wide by about 1.0 metres high. The entrance opening opening towards a smaller Hut Circle '4' at 3.7 metres diameter.

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

Enclosure visible on aerial photograph.

Newman, P., 2018, Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV361913.

Enclosure shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

A ruined prehistoric enclosure covering 0.6 hectares to the north of Hook Lake on the eastern bank of the River Erme, containing one stone hut circles and several internal wall banks creating 'pens'. The enclosure is approximately trapezoidal in outline but with curving corners and a serpentine south-west wall. It was of very robust construction with granite boulder walls up to 2.7 metres thick and having inner and outer face, though now spread to over 4 metres in places due to collapse. However many fragmentary lengths of the wall face survive in situ and it stands to 1 metre in height. The enclosure has no obvious remains of an entrance other than two apparent breaches on the eastern side. Slight ruinous walls divide parts of the south-west interior into 'pens' including one large elongated and two smaller crescent shaped examples.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UE-16 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(13/03/2019) Recorded by volunteer condition assessor. Condition assessed as moderate. The site is on open grass land not crossed by any major paths. Purple moor grass coverage has expanded greatly over the last ten years and where the walls were once quite clearly visible much of the monument, particularly the interior, is now much less accessible. Photo 1 is of MDV5149 looking south into MDV5153. Photo 2 is of the same monument looking back up the valley. Photo three is of the blocking stone at the southern end of UE17 and reveals the present proximity of Molina to the eastern edge of the monument. While the south east corner of the pound remains free of the grass it now can be seen well inside rest of the monument whereas ten years ago that was not the case.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photographs taken in March 2019.

Historic England, 2020, National Heritage List for England, 1002493 (National Heritage List for England). SDV363414.

The southern enclosure survives as an irregular shaped area surrounded by a large orthostatic wall measuring up to 3 metres wide. Internally there are a series of walls forming conjoined enclosed areas and at least two stone hut circles. Two further enclosures are attached to the outer face of the main enclosure one of which incorporates two stone hut circles.

National Monuments Record, 2020, Pastscape, 441711, SX66NW50 (Website). SDV363416.

Site visited on 5th May 1950. At SX 6405 6516 a well preserved enclosure contains one small hut circle and two courts situated on its southern extremity. The walling consists of large stones reaching an average height of 1 metre.
Field Investigation on 14th January 1978. At about 380 metres OD on a south-west facing slope above the River Erme is an enclosure of approximately 0.75 hectares., with walling of average width of 2.5 metres to 3.0 metres and a maximum height of 1.0 metre, constructed of large boulders with some orthostats. Attached to the north-west side of the enclosure is a yard and two hut circles. Within the enclosure is a hut circle, oval rather than circular in shape, with a maximum internal measurement of 3.7 metres diameter and walls of 1.0 metre wide with an entrance on the south-west side. The walling is largely orthostatic. There is no evidence of stone clearance within the enclosure. The area is naturally fairly open and clear of rocks.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley

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