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Summary

Prehistoric curving bank and ditch at West Coombe settlement associated with a Prehistoric reave

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: West Coombe Prehistoric settlement including a field system, enclosures and hut circles, and medieval field system with ridge and furrow on Hookney Down to south-east

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX 78 SW 9
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SW/256/1
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX78SW9
• Pastscape: 445635

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Early Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 2200 BC to 700 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953, SX78SW9 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV346549.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume One - The East, 158-159 (Monograph). SDV299725.

Curving boundary shown on plan to the north-east of a sub-circular enclosure. Other details: Map 23, Site 1, Figure 23.1.

Gibson, A., 1992, The Excavation of an Iron Age Settlement at Gold Park, Dartmoor, 32 (Article in Serial). SDV346556.

A length of bank and ditch curved around the uphill side of the platform house. This was irregular in itself, consisting in some areas of a simple bank and ditch, particularly in its southern parts, and in other places of a bank and ditch with substantial stones incorporated in the bank. The ditch was outside the curve of the bank. A 7 metre by 5 metre trench was opened on the nnorthern arc of this boundary, at the point where it intersected a well-defined reave. The bank was slight here, but the ditch could be traced as a slight depression up to within a metre of the reave on its uphill side. The bank and ditch then resumed as visible earthworks circa 2 metres downhill from the reave. The excavation revealed no trace of the bank, but the ditch was easily located. Successive turf lines in the ditch, interspersed with fine layers of gravelly soil, overlay a fill with traces of silting from the south (bank) side. The line of the reave overlay both this silt and one of the turf lines. No dating material was recovered. The reave represents the last phase of boundary construction at the site. This would place the construction of the bank and ditch, and the silting of the ditch as prior to circa 1700 BC.

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

Part of West Coombe Prehistoric settlement which was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 2004. Other details: Site 39.

Gerrard, S., 2006, Dartmoor Nationally Important Sites (Cartographic). SDV345607.

Site within the outline shown.

National Monuments Record, 2011, 445635 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV346555.

Seven Bronze/Iron Age huts and field system, remade possibly in Medieval period, on Coombe Down.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8134 - Survey of settlement on Shapley Common
• EDV8135 - The Excavation of an Iron Age Settlement at Gold Park, Shapley Common (Ref: 636273)

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