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Summary

The remains of a barrow with a central cairn 20.0m in diameter and 1.7m high which may originally have had a flat or platform top, now much disturbed by the creation of small shelters and modern cairns. Contiguous to the base is an encircling bank of stones 2.5m wide and 0.7m high on the outer face; the inner face is but 0.2m high but here it has had to retain spillage and slip from the central mound.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002659: Knatta Barrow
• SHINE: Stone remains of Knatta Barrow, a Prehistoric cairn south-east of Quickbeam Hill

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SE10
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441767
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SE/44
• Old SAM County Ref: 1008

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Rowe, S., 1896, A Perambulation of the Royal Forest of Dartmoor and the venville precincts, 165 (Monograph). SDV249697.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 376 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Crossing, w. /guide to dartmoor/376.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs, 1890 2280-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Photograph taken on 10th December 1946.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX66SE10 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV178502.

(02/05/1950) In very dilapidated condition with large hollows in the centre. Knatta Barrow of 24.0 metres diameter, 1.7 metres high.
(19/07/1977) The name "Knatta Barrow" is in current usage and is applied to an embanked cairn of two distinct parts, at approximately 450m OD.
There is a central cairn 20.0m in diameter and 1.7m high which may originally have had a flat or platform top, now much disturbed by the creation of small shelters and modern cairns. Contiguous to the base is an encircling bank of stones 2.5m wide and 0.7m high on the outer face; the inner face is but 0.2m high but here it has had to retain spillage and slip from the central mound (see illustration). Visually it cannot be determined whether this was a ring cairn to which a central cairn was added or if the ring was a subsequent construction.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 85-180 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

A retaining circle is present.

Robinson, R., 1978, South Brent Parish Checklist (Un-published). SDV137445.

Site visited on 5th May 1977. Knattabarrow. This cairn lies on the plateau of a hill between Bala brook and the Middle Brook. It is not so prominent as many of the summit cairns. It shows on the RAF vertical aerial photograph. It was recorded on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey of 1809. This large cairn (24 metres diameter, 1.7 metres height) composed of loose granite boulders. It is unusual among summit cairns in having a well defined outer bank about 1 metre wide and 0.5 metres high. This is partly turf covered but where eroded can be seen to be built of loose stone like the central cairn which touches it. It shows best on the north and east sides, while on the south west side it tends to merge into the body of the cairn.

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

Site visited on 19th March 1984.

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

This barrow shows up very clearly on 1946 aerial photographs.

Robinson, R. + Cosford, J., 1986, Dartmoor multiple stone circles, 166-70 (Article in Serial). SDV178508.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 69, a54 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

This site as a ring cairn with central mound, ring 21 metres internal diameter, with bank 2 metres wide and 0.5 metres high. Central cairn is 16 metres diameter and 2 metres high.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 160, Map 57 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Knatta Barrow at SX65966420 to the south of Quickbeam Hill of 26 metres by 2.5 metres high in an exposed location. The cairn has been disturbed but still retains something of its original shape, an outer ring surrounding a raised interior with a mound at the centre. A little of the original structure survives and reveals some carefully layered slabs.

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

'Knatta Barrow' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1002659 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes a platform cairn known as Knatta Barrow situated on the shoulder of Quickbeam Hill between Bala Brook and Middle Brook. The monument survives as a circular stony platform of up to 20 metres in diameter standing up to 2 metres high, which is surrounded by an outer stony bank measuring up to 2.5 metres wide and 0.7 metres high. The cairn has been disturbed by phases of early partial excavation or robbing, stone moving and shelter building.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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