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Summary

Two possible hut circles of prehistoric date are identified by field and aerial survey within an enclosed settlement on the south-west facing slopes of a spur to the west of Trowlesworthy Warren House. The hut circles are identifiable as possibly conjoined subtle earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1946 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/90/3
• Old SAM Ref: 24232

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

Subtle banks are visible as earthworks.

Mercer, R. J., 1987, An Archaeological Field Survey of the Upper Plym Valley, Dartmoor 1982-1986 (Report - Survey). SDV165948.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140625 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

These buildings survive as banks of earth and stone surrounding a circular internal area. The interior of the northern hut is 4 metres in diameter and the surrounding 1.5 metre wide rubble bank wall stands up to 0.5 metres high. The remaining 2 huts are conjoined and connected to a length of rubble wall leading through the enclosure. The northern of the conjoined huts survives as 1.2 metre wide and 0.7 metre high single orthostat and rubble bank wall surrounding a 5.0 metre diameter internal area. The interior of the southern structure measures 4.0 metres in diameter and is defined by a 0.8 metre wide single orthostat wall standing up to 0.4 metres high. Both Mercer's and Butler's representations of these huts are very different and this survey was unable to accept either as a true reflection of the surviving evidence.

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

Enclosure 'F' at Shadyback Tor is shown with a central hut circle which has a wall running north on the west side to the field boundary and a short wall running north on the east side of the hut circle.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 58, 102 156e (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Two very poorly preserved hut circles terraced into the slope within the western enclosure consist of denuded overgrown banks in which some stones and occasional orthostats are visible. Little structural detail is discernible. The south-eastern compartment of 4.8 metres by 3.5 metres has a short arc of wall curving eastwards from the south-east sectior. The north-eastern compartment is 3.5 metres by 2.7 metres with walls of 0.2 metres high.

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.

Subtle banks are identifiable as earthworks.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5664 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

Two short arcs of stone settings are visible.

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

Several features visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Two hut circles shown on modern mapping.

National Monuments Record, 2019, Pastscape, 439175, SX56SE24 (Website). SDV362732.

The hut at SX 56556480 measures 3.8 metres in diameter with robbed walls 1.2 metres wide and 0.1 metres high. The interior is littered with small stone, presumably the result of later field clearance. Immediately to the S of this lies a similarly disturbed feature, 4.0 metres in diameter, which may represent a second hut.

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.

Two possibly conjoined hut circles of probable Bronze Age to Iron Age date are identifiable as subtle earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1946 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, located centrally within the enclosed hut circle settlement MDV2544. The subtle earthworks are up to 2.5m wide and enclose irregularly shaped hollows or platforms, the northernmost measuring circa 6 to 8m across, the southernmost 4 to 5m across.
Visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2016, two short arcs of stone settings up to circa 0.8m wide might indicate the position and possible original width of part of the southernmost hut circles wall or bank.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1020323 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

Withn 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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