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Summary

Five shelters are built into the periphery of the large round cairn situated on the summit of Cawsand Hill. They have been constructed from cairn material and are composed of drystone walling surrounding an oval or triangular shaped internal area. The precise date and function of these shelters is not known with certainty, though their relatively fresh appearance suggests that they probably date to the 19th or 20th century and may have been built by visitors to the area as overnight bivouac shelters.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1010793: Cawsand Beacon, a round cairn, a ring cairn, a stone building and five post-medieval shelters on the summit of Cawsand Hill

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SW/18/1
• Old SAM Ref: 24144

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SHELTER (Constructed, XVIII to Early 20th Century - 1751 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133333 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(17/01/1994) Five post-Medieval shelters are built into the periphery of the large round cairn situated on the summit of Cawsand Hill. They have been constructed from cairn material and are composed of drystone walling surrounding an oval or triangular shaped internal area. Described individually as follows:
A interior measures 2.7m by 1.5m and is surrounded by a 1.3m wide drystone wall standing up to 1.4m high.
B includes a 2m by 1.5m by 0.3m deep hollow dug into the cairn material. The sides of the hollow are roughly revetted with granite slabs.
C interior is triangular in shape, 2m by 2m at the widest part, and is defined by 0.9m wide drystone wall standing up to 0.9m high.
D interior measures 2.5m by 2m and is surrounded by a 1m wide and 1.3m high drystone wall.
E interior measures 4m by 2.7m and is defined by a 1.4m wide and 1.3m high drystone wall. A rubble bank lying at right angles to the long axis divides the shelter into two compartments.
The precise date and function of these shelters is not known with certainty, though their relatively fresh appearance suggests that they probably date to the 19th or 20th century and may have been built by visitors to the area as overnight bivouac shelters.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 206-7, Map 40, Figure 40.8 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Four shelters shown around the perimeter of the 'Cosdon Hill summit cairn '1'.

Environment Agency WMS, 2019, LiDAR DSM data (1m resolution), 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362957.

Two shelters clearly visible on the lidar data.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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