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Summary

Summit cairn on Piles Hill. A bell-cairn of 28 metres diameter overall with a turf-covered central mound of 18 metres diameter by 1 metre high and an outer rim, 2 metres wide and 0.5 metres high. The outer bank of stones incorporates a possible double row of orthostats although only the tops of these protrude. The central mound has suffered minor damage with evidence of an excavation trench on the north side. The cairn could be described as a rimmed platform with central mound and is not common though examples occur in Cornwall on St. Breock Downs and Bodmin Moor. 2022 Geophysical survey suggested possibble ditch around this feature.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012474: Cairn on Piles Hill
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of the early 20th century China Clay works at Redlake Mine and the associated railway, as well as prehistoric remains on Ugborough Moor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SE51
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441922
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SE/69
• Old SAM County Ref: 372
• Old SAM Ref: 10559

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) RING CAIRN (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• CAIRN (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

'Tumulus' shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX66SE51, SX66SE51, sketch, section, plan, photo. (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV178223.

Cairn on Piles Hill. An unusual monument, the equivalent of a bell barrow in stone. Cairn (diameter 17.8m, height 1.37m), berm (width 3.05m), stone circle (diameter 2.1m, height 0.46m). (12/04/1950) Cairn with bell disc features. Slight hollow in the centre of the tump (mound), otherwise in good condition. No distinct outer bank could be found, but the berm and central tump were quite evident.

Grinsell, L. V., 1953, The Ancient Burial-Mounds of England, 113 or 133 (Monograph). SDV223394.

A cairn of rare type, consisting of a central mound, surrounded by a fairly level platform which is enclosed in an outer bank.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX66SE51, SX66SE51 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV178224.

(05/08/1977) A bell-cairn of Wessex type situated at 387m. O.D. in a prominent position on Piles Hill. It is 29m in overall diameter and comprises a platform 0.3m high with the perimeter raised to a height of 0.5m by the formation of a bank of stones incorporating a possible double row of orthostats although only the tops of these protrude. Centrally placed within the platform is a mound 17.0m in diameter and 0.7m high; it has suffered minor depredations with evidence of an excavation trench on the north side. The cairn could be described as a rimmed platform with central mound and is not common though examples occur in Cornwall on St. Breock Downs and Bodmin Moor. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on P.F.D.

Hankin, C. F., 1977-1980, Harford Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV149931.

(08/06/1976) This mound has the characterisation of a 'bell-type' cairn the only one of its kind on this part of Dartmoor. The centre has three areas in which the overgrowth on the stones has been cleared. Diameter (outside) approximately 27m, platform or berm 2m - 3m wide, diameter (top of mound) 18m, height of berm approximately 0.5m, height overall approximately 1.5m. Altitude approximately 387m.

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

(23/06/1973) Cairn comprising central element, 18m in diameter, placed on a platform, leaving a berm c.3m wide. Around circumference of berm are suggestions of a low bank. Probably a variant of the bell barrow of Wessex type. Diameter 31.5m, height 1.5m.

National Monuments Record, 1980, SF1743, 76-77 (Aerial Photograph). SDV161746.

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

(12/06/1984) Field Monument Warden site visit.

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

Substantial cairn visible on 1980 aerial photograph.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 32, 69, A53 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Stone ring around isolated cairn. Measures 23m in diameter with bank 1.5m wide and 0.4m high. Mound measures 16.5m diameter and 1m high.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 64, Map 54 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Cairn at SX 65326082 on the summit of Piles Hill with a central mound of 18 metres across built onto a circular platform 20 metres wider.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UG35 (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, 12, 7.1.7 (Report - Survey). SDV364697.

One of fifty cairns recorded in the survey area.

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

'Cairn shown on modern mapping.

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

Visited on 26th April 2021, surveyed and photographed. Large cairn on summit of Piles Hill: embanked or rimmed platform cairn, 28 metres diameter overall, with turf-covered central mound, 18 metres diameter, 1 metre high and outer rim, 2 metres wide and 0.5 metres high.

Edwards, M. + Trick, S., 2022, An archaeological magnetometer and resistance survey Land at Piles Hill Stone Row Centred on NGR: 265524,061055 (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV364932.

Geophysical survey (resistance) in April/May 2022 detected a low-resistance ring around this cairn. Although the HER record records a berm (rather than a ditch) around this cairn, it's possible that this berm is comprised of collapse cairn and outer bank material masking a substantial ditch beneath. A high-resistance ring around this ditch may be an outer bank as recorded in the HER. The magnetic survey did not clearly detect a ditch, but possible evidence of spaced features around the cairn. Additional, two short curving anomalies may be ditches of uncertain relationship to the monument.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8770 - Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Lanscape, Harford and Ugborough
• EDV8817 - Geophysical survey of Piles Hill Stone Row and cairns, Ugborough (Ref: 2111-PIL-R-1)

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