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HER Number:MDV5221
Name:Cairn 300 metres west of Snowdon Hole, Westr Buckfastleigh

Summary

Cairn with a diameter of 23.3m and 1m high and is constructed of boulders, of all sizes and has been heavily disturbed, especially on its east side, where a modern marker cairn, 1.5 m high and 3m diameter has been erected. This site is on the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Grid Reference:SX 668 681
Map Sheet:SX66NE
Admin AreaDartmoor National Park
Civil ParishWest Buckfastleigh
DistrictSouth Hams
Ecclesiastical ParishBUCKFASTLEIGH

Protected Status

  • SHINE: Earthworks of a line of four Bronze Age cairns north-west of Snowdon Hole

Other References/Statuses

  • Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset: y
  • National Monuments Record: SX66NE11
  • National Record of the Historic Environment: 441381
  • Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NE/41

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

National Monuments Record, NMR SX6668, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV150364.

Breton, H. H., 1931, The Forest of Dartmoor, 20 (Monograph). SDV146074.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX66NE11 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV146073.

(20/04/1950) One of two cairns. The centre has been removed and dumped on eastern side.
(13/07/1977) One of two cairns lying on the broad, level summit of Snowden at 495 metres above OD.
Cairn 'B' This large cairn, diameter 23.3 metres and 1.0 metres high, is constructed of boulders of all sizes and has been heavily disturbed, especially on its east side, where a modern marker cairn, 1.5 metres high and 3 metres diameter has been erected. The form of the west sector indicate that originally it may have been a rimmed platform, the rim being 5.5 metres wide and 1.0 metres high, contiguous with the central platform of 12 metres diameter.
Section at 1:200 on 495. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 176 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Cairn, hollow towards centre, crowned by modern stone heap, measuring 24.0 meters in diameter, and 1.0 meter in height. (Visited on 17/9/1974)

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

Recorded during the Aerial Photograph Project.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 171. Map 58 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Snowdon '1' cairn at SX66886816 of 24.5 metres diameter by 1.0 metres high. Southernmost of four cairns on Snowdon, this is the largest and is composed of a loosely piled mass of medium-sized stones. There are traces of an outer rim surrounding the pitted and hollowed interior and the cairn may have originally been more structured as the tops of some vertically set slabs are visible within the body of the mound which seem to form part of an inner ring. One block 0.8 metres high which is particularly noticeable within the western side of the mound is likely to have originally have stood on the margin.

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

'Cairn' shown on modern mapping as a slightly oval feature.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV146073Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1950/1977. SX66NE11. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV146074Monograph: Breton, H. H.. 1931. The Forest of Dartmoor. The Forest of Dartmoor, I, Plymouth. 20.
SDV150364Aerial Photograph: National Monuments Record. NMR SX6668. National Monuments Record Aerial Photograph. 1.
SDV273224Article in Serial: Grinsell, L. V.. 1978. Dartmoor Barrows. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 36. A5 Paperback. 176.
SDV319854Cartographic: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1985. Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP. Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England Aerial Photograph P. Cartographic.
SDV337765Monograph: Butler, J.. 1993. Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East. Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East. Four. Paperback Volume. 171. Map 58.
SDV364015Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2021. MasterMap 2021. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #94250 ]

Associated Monuments

MDV5220Related to: Cairn 360 metres north-west of Snowdon Hole, West Buckfastleigh (Monument)
MDV5222Related to: Cairn 440 metres north-west of Snowdon Hole, West Buckfastleigh (Monument)
MDV13203Related to: Cairn 470 metres north-west of Snowdon Hole, West Buckfastleigh (Monument)

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

  • EDV8290 - Survey of tinworks along the River Mardle

Date Last Edited:Dec 20 2021 11:45AM