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Summary

Large platform cairn, 30.5 m diameter and on average 1.0 m high is turf covered and in good condition, except for the erection of Petre's Bound Stone, a modern boundary stone, and an Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar upon it. It lies on the broad level summit of Ryder's Hill.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Bronze age cairn on Ryder's Hill topped with a modern marker stone indicating the boundary between the parishes of Holne and Dartmoor Forest

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset: Y
• National Monuments Record: SX66NE13
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1059415
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441387
• National Record of the Historic Environment: SX66NE80
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NE/43

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• BOUNDARY STONE (XVIII to Early 20th Century - 1751 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

National Monuments Record, NMR SF 1747, 414-416 (Aerial Photograph). SDV145032.

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

'Petre's Bound Stone' shown on 'Ryder's Hill' on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Petre's Bound Stone' indicated on Ordnance Survey 6 inch (1906) map (and on 6 inch (1969) map.

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

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX66NE13 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV225626.

(1950) Cairn, measuring 29.0 metres in diameter, 1.4 metres in height. A probable turf-covered cairn, surmounted by Petre's Boundary Stone and Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar.
(14/07/1977) SX 65976905 This large platform cairn, 30.5 m diameter and on average 1.0 m high is turf covered and in good condition, except for the erection of Petre's Bound Stone, a modern boundary stone, and an OS triangulation pillar upon it. It lies on the broad level summit of Ryder's Hill at 515 m above OD.
O.S. 1:10,000 Survey revised.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 141 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(11/10/1975) Cairn, crowned by Petre's Boundary Stone. The cairn measures 32 meters in diameter, 0.9 meters in height.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor (Monograph). SDV249702.

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

Visible and recorded.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 173, Map 58 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Ryder's Hill cairn at SX65976904 of 30.0 metres diameter by 1.5 metres. By the 17th century the cairn on the summit of Ryder's Hill has been known as 'Knattleborough' or variations of that name. It was important as far back as the 1240 Perambulation marking the boundary of the Forest with the moors of Holne and Buckfastleigh. Several pillars on the top include two slabs labelled 'H' for Holne and 'B' for Buckfastleigh known as 'Petre-on-the Mount' and 'Petre's Bound Stone', and an Ordnance Survey pyramid at the centre. The latter may have disturbed a central deposit but otherwise, apart from some pitting and a slight central hollow, the cairn seems to be relatively undamaged and retains its shape well. A circular platform 30 metres in diameter rises to a low mound 12 metres across at the centre and about 1.5 metres above ground level.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(11/01/1995) A large, turf-covered platform cairn lies towards the centre of the plateau of Ryder's Hill at SX 65976905. It is circular with a diameter of 30.8m and a maximum height of 1.5m. It is very compact, containing a very large proportion of stone.
Externally, on the northern side, the scarp has slumped slightly, and there is a slight cutting into the south-south-western edge. Internally, there is a long, curved hollow on the north side from the north-east through to the north-west which gives the false appearance of a rim surrounding a central mound. Within this ditch is a hollow 4.5m in diameter and 0.4m deep. It is likely that this supplied the packing stone for the two boundary posts to the south of the triangulation pillar in the centre of the cairn. Around there, as well as around the OS pillar, there are erosion hollows but, despite these, the cairn is in remarkably good condition with no great loss of stone.
In the survey of the Forest Bounds in 1607 the cairn was referred to as "Knattleburroughe" as well as "Gnatteshill" (Hemery), and other variations (Butler). The cairn appears to have had importance since at least the 1240 Perambulation (Butler), the route of which is now fossilized by the current boundary markers.
Ryder's Hill cairn is the highest point on the south moor and the second highest point on the whole of Dartmoor after North Hessary (Hemery). The views are panoramic. To the south, Plymouth and the channel are visible as well as the Isle of Portland to the south-east (Hemery) and supposedly the Lizard Point to the south-west (Crossing). To the south, Three Barrows can be seen on the horizon, to the south-west is Redlake, and to the north-west is North Hessary.
The cairn is best preserved and highest on its south-western side.
SX65986915. Two boundary stones stand on Ryder's Hill summit cairn (SX 66 NE 13). The larger of the two, Petre's Bound stone, is a roughly dressed granite slab 1.38m high, 0.25m wide and 0.20m thick leaning slightly to the west. The letter B, 0.15m high, is inscribed on its eastern face. One metre to the east is a second boundary stone. It is also a roughly dressed granite slab 0.7m high, 0.3m wide and 0.14m thick The letter H, 0.12m high is inscribed on its northern face. Both stones lie in a slight erosion hollow. These stones mark the boundary of the Royal Forest boundary with the parishes of Buckfastleigh and Holne.
A site report and a 1:2500 scale area survey are deposited in the archive

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Cairn shown on survey.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Visible on aerial photograph.

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

'Petre's Boundary', 'Cairn' and 'BSs' shown on modern mapping at this location.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7100 - Holne Moor Survey

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