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Summary

Three hut circles and several lengths of walling apparently prehistoric, lie in an area of gorse and bracken on a ridge-crest and moderate E-facing slope 250m W of Higher Shapely farmhouse. The walls are presumably the remains of a field system.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and walling remains of a Bronze Age hut circle settlement west of Lower Shapley Farm, consisting of at least four hut circles connected by a number of fragments of enclosure walling
• Scheduled Monument 1002651: Hut circles W of Higher Shapley

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE39
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443835
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/61
• Old SAM County Ref: 983

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, 2359-60 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Hut circle clearly visible on aerial photograph together with two more hut circles situated at SX 67998476 and SX 68028475.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1952, SX68SE39 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV256630.

(28/08/1952) These hut circles are in good condition and well defined.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1983, Hut circle, Page 30 of 139 (Worksheet). SDV256631.

(07/04/1983) SX 6797 8478 Remains of a large prehistoric hut circle, slightly terraced into hillslope and with several horizontal inner kerbstones surviving. The circle is on the south side of a bank/wall running approximately north-west by south-east which changes direction when it meets the hut. A ploughed-out bank runs north-east from the hut.

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

Visible and recorded.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(13/06/1990) Centred SX 6803 8475. Three hut circles and several lengths of walling apparently prehistoric, lie in an area of gorse and bracken on a ridge-crest and moderate E-facing slope 250m W of Higher Shapely farmhouse. The walls are presumably the remains of a field system.
Part of the area which was originally rough grazing, has been improved in recent years resulting in the destruction or mutilation of four huts and two lengths of walling previously recorded by Greeves (quoting SMR).
The surviving huts (1-3 on the accompanying plan and tabulation) have internal diameters of between 5.6m and 7.2m with two, (1) and (2), displaying largely complete internal and partial external wall faces of massive upright boulders and slabs up to 1.4m high. All the huts are terraced into the slope and although several gaps exist in their walls none are certain original entrances. The irregular enclosures or fields associated with these huts are formed by boulder and stone walls 1.5m to 2.5m wide and up to 0.7m high. Short stretches of these walls consists of large upright slabs and boulders forming one face with a rubble backing. Two slight scarps, 0.4m high in the improved area of the site mark further boundaries while that depicted on OS 1/2500 between SX 6792 8481 and SX 6797 8478 has been completely destroyed.
Of the four additional huts previously recorded (A-D on the accompanying plan); two (A and B) have been completely destroyed, one (c), depicted on OS 1/2500, is buried beneath a massive stone pile and one (D) survives as an ovoid hollow 6.2m by 11.0m and 0.5m deep at SX 6796 8478 within the improved area.
A further table of information on the hut circles is held in the archive.
See also subsheet SX68SE/77, 186, 187, 188.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Part of the settlement map align with the modern field boundaries. Map object based on this source.

Environment Agency WMS, 2022, Environment Agency LIDAR Composite DTM 2022 - 1m (Cartographic). SDV365447.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8655 - Higher Shapley Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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