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Summary

One of three adjoining enclosures and five hut circles immediately south-west of Shadyback Tor. An enclosed hut circle settlement of probable Bronze Age to Iron Age date is visible as stony earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2002 onwards and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017. The enclosure contains at least two hut circles. It is one of at least six such enclosures incorporated into a later, probably medieval field system north and west of Trowlesworthy Warren House.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020323: Prehistoric and historic archaeological landscape at Trowlesworthy Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE22
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439169
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/48/1
• Old SAM Ref: 24232

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

West and south sides of enclosure shown on 19th century map.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 4290-4291 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Curvilinear banks are visible as earthworks.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE22, Enclosure B (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV231903.

(14/06/1977) An enclosed settlement, consisting of 3 adjoining enclosures, lies on a moderate, well drained, north-west facing slope at 250.0m. above O.D.
(b) SX 56636496. This oval enclosure, 60m. by 40m. and 0.2 ha., post dates (a) and is built of orthostatic walling in poor
condition. The interior is clitter strewn and contains 2 type 2 hut circles, average internal diameter 6.5m., walls 1.3m. thick and in poor condition. Both are set into the slope. One is built onto the enclosure wall, and has a west facing entrance and an attached yard, 7.0m. by 3.5m. A third type II hut circle, internal diameter 5.0m., wall about 1.0m. thick and in poor condition, is terraced against the outside of the enclosure; where there are further field clearance heaps. 1:10 000 Survey on P.F.D.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140612 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 2nd April 1995. Agglomerated enclosure with several hut circles.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 159-160, Map 51, Figure 51.3 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Shadyback Tor Prehistoric Enclosure 'B' with two hut circles and an annexe adjoining the north side of the southern hut.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 64, 102 174a (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Enclosure at SX56636497 is one of three sub-rectangular interconnecting enclosures. It may be secondary to the enclosure to the west as it abuts its east side. The north-west end is obscured by a later track and the south-west corner has been superimposed by a later wall. The enclosure is composed of a denuded wall and is 45 metres by 30 metres with a wall up to 0.4 metres high.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360209.

Enclosure visible on Lidar data.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5664 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Curvilinear banks are identifiable as spread earthworks.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5664 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

Curvilinear banks are visible as earthworks.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

(26/02/2001) Centred SX 56606501. Three adjoining enclosures and five hut circles immediately SW of Shadyback Tor. The enclosures are irregular in shape and cover areas of between 0.2 and 0.5ha with broad stony banks around 2.0m wide and 0.6m high. Two of the enclosures contain hut circles and a solitary hut lies immediately beyond the southernmost field bank. It seems most likely that these features formed a small part of an agglomerated settlement that formerly occupied most of the spur running W from Trowelsworthy Warren House. Several medieval or recent enclosures occupy part of the site as do pillow mounds and vermin traps. All the prehistoric features have been disturbed by stone gathering.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Not clear on aerial photograph.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UP-TR6 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(03/07/2019) Condition of enclosure and huts assessed as very good; no damage agents recorded.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs (Photograph). SDV363073.

Site photographed during July 2019 visit.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Stony banks circa 3m wide are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1946, digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2002 onwards and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017 defining a roughly D-shaped enclosure to the north-west of Trowlesworthy Warren House.
The enclosed area measures at least 52m across north to south, and circa 35m across west to east.
At least two banked circular hollows 5 to 7m across are visible within the enclosure, abutting the inner edge of the western and southern boundary bank. A third banked enclosure circa 16m across can also be identified as a subtle earthwork.
The visible earthworks are interpreted as the remains of a probable enclosed hut circle settlement of Bronze Age to Iron Age date, one of at least six such enclosures incorporated into a later, probably medieval field system north and west of Trowlesworthy Warren House.
The banked circular hollows within the enclosure are interpreted as possible hut circles, the larger enclosure a possible stock pound.
It abuts, and probably post-dates, a similar if slightly larger enclosure to the west.
The southern edge of the enclosure appears to have been incorporated into a later, possibly medieval field system (MDV14369).
South of this bank, further banks or terraces might be evidence of an annexe to the enclosure, including one or two additional hut circles.
The hut circles are transcribed as part of the enclosure but are also recorded separately.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 10120323 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

Within Scheduled area.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7369 - Survey of Granite Loading Bays at Trowlesworthy, Devon
• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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