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Summary

Three Barrows Reave can be traced from near the head of West Glaze Brook, where it takes a north west direction towards the summit of Three Barrows Hill. Reave is 427 metres in length, between 1.21 and 2.74 metres width, and between 0.30 and 0.61 metres high.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012780: One of three cairns on Three Barrows, Ugborough Moor
• Scheduled Monument 1013029: One of three cairns on Three Barrows, Ugborough Moor
• SHINE: Earthwork and walling remains of the Bronze Age Three Barrows Reave, as well as a deserted medieval farmstead and post-medieval Streamworks on Ugborough Moor

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SE/14
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• REAVE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))
• PARISH BOUNDARY (XVIII to XIX - 1750 AD to 1880 AD (Between))

Full description

Page, J. L. W., 1895, An Exploration of Dartmoor and its Antiquities, with some account of its borders, with some account of its borders, 254 (Monograph). SDV344985.

Rowe, S., 1896, A Perambulation of the Forest of Dartmoor, 166 (Monograph). SDV249697.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 32,378-380 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2494, 3048-3049 (Aerial Photograph). SDV147533.

National Monuments Record, 1969, NMR SX6463, 1/28-48 (Aerial Photograph). SDV165976.

Gaskell-Brown, C. + Hankin, C., 1975 - 1978, Ugborough Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV161354.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX66SE109, 4/8/1977 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV142102.

The reave emerges from the deep peat of Leftlake Mires at SX65086314 and is aligned on the largest of the "Three Barrows" at SX65296261. Two hundred metres north of the cairn the reave has been dug into in recent times exposing much natural sub-surface stone, but otherwise is visible as a heather-covered bank of stone 4 metres wide and 0.3 metres high, clearly much overgrown by peat. Between the large cairn and a smaller one at SX65346251 the reave cannot be identified on the ground but marks on the air photographs suggest that this 40 metre gap was formerly closed by the wall being offset slightly to the north east of the general alignment. From the tangent of the smaller cairn the reave extends south as a bank of stones 5 metres across and up to 0.8 metres high, descending with a slight deviation to SX65756170 25 metres from the West Glaze Brook where it disappears in boggy ground.
Leftlake stream and West Glaze Brook would seem originally to have been recognised boundaries and linked by the construction of a reave across the intervening hill which now, for much of its course, carries the parish boundary.
Reave (length 427 metres, width (maximum 2.74 metres, minimum 1.21 metres), height (maximum 610 millimetres, minimum 305 millimetres).

Robinson, R., 1977-1979, South Brent Parish Checklist, -/12/1976 (Worksheet). SDV151046.

This reave for part of its length marks the parish boundary between South Brent and Ugborough. It has been mentioned by many Dartmoor writers and in the 16th century was referred to as 'a long conger of stones called Le Rowe Rewe' (Crossing’s Guide). It runs from a point about 100 metres from the West Glaze Head to the centre cairn on Three Barrows (with one slight change in its alignment on the way) and from the other side of the centre cairn continues the same line north-west down the hill where its termination is at the first granite boundary post. It can be traced no further and from this point the parish boundary is defined by a line of granite posts at a different angle. Ridge of stones, near Three Barrows. It is reasonable to assume that a prehistoric reave has been used for part of its length as a parish boundary.

Fleming, A., 1978, The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor. Part 1: South Dartmoor, 97-123 (Article in Serial). SDV235265.

Three Barrows reave, elevation 457 metres. The reave associated with Three Barrows can be traced from near the head of West Glaze Brook, where it takes a north west direction towards the summit of three barrows hill. In its south part the reave is intermittent and not well defined. As it proceeds north it becomes clearly defined, although overgrown. It is best preserved north of the parish boundary at 65526215. Near the top of the hill the stones are uncovered in several places. The reave ends at the west edge of the south east cairn on three barrows. Continues north to sx651631.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Interpretation). SDV319854.

Visible on 1969 National Monuments Record and 1948 Royal Air Force aerial photographs, the latter showing the full extent. Interrupted possibly by stream work.

Gerrard, S., 1993-2002, Monument Protection Programme Alternative Action Report, 2002 (Report - non-specific). SDV145710.

Cairns on this reave have already been scheduled and at the time of the visit by Monument Protection Programme the reave was not recommended for scheduling.

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

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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