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Summary

A stone row partly double and partly single ending on the remains of a cairn circle. The length of the double row is 111.0m. and of the single row 61.0m, the total length to the centre of the cairn circle being 177.0m. None of the stones of the cairn circle are standing and it is impossible therefore to give an indication of its size.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012476: Stone alignment and terminal cairns south-west of Glasscombe Corner

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SE49
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441916
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SE/5
• Old SAM County Ref: 523
• Old SAM Ref: 10557

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• STONE ALIGNMENT (Constructed, Neolithic - 4000 BC (Between) to 2201 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. N., 1892, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor, 403-404 (Article in Serial). SDV237176.

Worth, R. H., 1911, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part IX, 348-349 fig. (Article in Serial). SDV142498.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 390 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 314-5, No. 60 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

A stone row, 300 yds S 41o W from Glasscombe Corner. The southern 368 feet are a double row and the northern 212 feet 6 inches a single row. The northern part has lost no stones and the change from double to single is abrupt and complete. At the S.W. end are the remains of a cairn and at the NE. end is a retaining circle with many of the stones fallen. It would appear thus that there was a grave at either end of the row. The total length from centre of circle to centre of cairn is 635 feet.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX66SE49 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV141095.

(13/04/1950) Worth's description accurate but the cairn at the south-west end of the row could not be found. Note: this is row No.60 in Worth (1946), but row no.61 in Worth (1967).
(15/08/1977) Situated on the eastern slope of Piles Hill between 320 metres and 340 metres O.D. is a stone row partly double and partly single ending on the remains of a cairn circle. The length of the double row is 111.0 metres and of the single row 61.0 metres, the total length to the centre of the cairn circle being 177.0 metres. There is no trace of the cairn at the south-west end of the row. None of the stones of the cairn circle are standing and it is impossible therefore to give an indication of its size.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on P.F.D. and at 1:1000 for AO Records.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 235, Number 61 (Monograph). SDV337618.

Row probably made up of two alignments double at south-west and upper end, single below. The southern part of the row is double; the northern part is single, and was never double. The change from double to single is abrupt and complete. At the south-west end of the row are the remnants of a cairn, much reduced, but traceable. At the north-east end is a retaining circle of which many of the stones have fallen. It would appear that at either end was a grave.

Gaskell-Brown, C. + Hankin, C., 1974 -1978, Ugborough Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV161354.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 171 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(24/06/1976) Ordnance Survey 6 inch map sheet shows cairn circle at north-east end of the stone row, but grinsell considers this vague and doubtful. Supposed remains of cairn at south-western end of row now almost invisible.

Emmett, D. D., 1979, Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered, 111 (Article in Serial). SDV251087.

National Monuments Record, 1980, SF1743, 74-75 (Aerial Photograph). SDV161746.

Robinson, R., 1984, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1984 (Un-published). SDV343082.

Visited 12/06/1984.

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

The northern single stone row part of this stone row is visible on 1980 aerial photograph, but not the cairns at either end.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 96-97, 242, Map 56, Figure 56.11 & 56.11.1 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Glasscombe Corner stone rows with the upper end at SX66106080. Partly a double stone row and partly a single stone row. The downhill north-eastern single section is 60 metres long and composed of large stones 3.2 metres apart and has lost six of its components. The single row ends opposite some flat slabs surrounding a central hollow. These may have formed the retaining circle of a cairn. Much smaller stones were chosen for the double row, many now buried, and set closer together at 2.4 metres apart. The double rows are 1.7 metres apart except towards the lower north-eastern end where a few extra slabs have been added between them. Towards the upper south-western end the stones become progressively smaller and eventually disappear altogether without any obvious termination. Some slight undulations here appear to be natural rather than the site of a cairn as suggested by Worth.

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Notes on row (Personal Comment). SDV141101.

Site visited on 22nd March 1995. Stone row at Glasscombe Corner east of Piles Hill (length (total 177 metres, single 65 metres, double 112 metres), spacing 3 metres direction 36 degrees maximum height 1 metre. From SX 6599 6065 to SX 6610 6080.

Perrin, R., 2016, Ugborough Parish Heritage Appraisal Second Edition (Report - Assessment). SDV360390.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UG37 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited in 2017 prior to this project starting; not revisited. Condition assessed as very good.

Riley, H., 2021, Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Landscape, Harford and Ugborough, 10, 7.1.4 (Report - Survey). SDV364697.

One of the stone rows in the survey area.

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

'Stone Rows' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1012476 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This alignment and its associated cairns lie south-west of Glasscombe Corner and the West Glaze Brook, on the lower eastern slope of Piles Hill. The alignment runs south-west/north-east for 174 metres down across the slope and is single for about one third of its length and double for the southern two thirds. It has a cairn at either end, the northern one surviving as a retaining kerb 10 metres in diameter and the southern cairn being 6 metres in diameter and 0.4 metres in height. Three more cairns are associated with the northern end of the alignment, they range from 7 metres to 9 metres in diameter and are all 0.4 metres in height, two have traces of retaining kerbs.

Riley, H., 2021, UG21 heritage asset database and gazetteer of sites (Report - Survey). SDV364699.

Visited on 26th April 2021, surveyed and photographed. Stone row south-west of Glasscombe Corner: double and single stone row, orientated north-east to south-west, 180 metres long. Vehicle tracks crossing the stone row north-west to south-east make the stones extremely vulnerable to damage.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8770 - Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Lanscape, Harford and Ugborough

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