See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

An enclosed settlement of 0.65 hectares, situated on a north slope above Bala Brook and nearly opposite another settlement. The predominating feature is the massive enclosure wall which incorporates a mixed construction of upright slabs for 'double' walling, coursed blocks and rubble. Originally it seems to have been 2.0 metres thick and perhaps 2.0 metres high but in its present tumbled state the walling is from 3.0 metres to 5.5 metres wide and from 0.8 metres to 1.4 metres high. The north-east side is now open to a river cliff which may be natural or have resulted from tin streaming but it seems unlikely that the enclosure continued on this side. The entrance is on the south-west, 2.0 metres wide and well defined with a thickening of the wall to each side. Within the entrance are a half dozen contiguous 'pounds' possibly built in a west to east sequence.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012775: Enclosure with hut circles and rectangular pens, south of Bala Brook
• SHINE: Earthwork and walling remains of a Prehistoric Enclosed Hut Circle Settlement including an outlying hut circle to the south of Bala Brook

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SE30
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441851
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SE/90
• Old SAM County Ref: 390
• Old SAM Ref: 10578

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

Semi-circular enclosure shown on 19th century map containing eight 'Hut Circles' and a rectilinear pen.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs, 1890 2279-80 (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Photograph taken on 10th December 1946.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1980, SX66SE30 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV145140.

(14/04/1950) At SX 67156287 an enclosed Hut Group and Hut Circles
(08/01/1980) An enclosed settlement of 0.65 hectares, situated on a north slope above Bala Brook and nearly opposite another settlement.
The predominating feature is the massive enclosure wall which incorporates a mixed construction of upright slabs for 'double' walling, coursed blocks and rubble. Originally it seems to have been 2.0 metres thick and perhaps 2.0 metres high but in its present tumbled state the walling is from 3.0 metres to 5.5 metres wide and from 0.8 metres to 1.4 metres high. The north-east side is now open to a river cliff which may be natural or have resulted from tin streaming but it seems unlikely that the enclosure continued on this side. The entrance is on the south-west, 2.0 metres wide and well defined with a thickening of the wall to each side.
Within the entrance are a half dozen contiguous 'pounds' possibly built in a west to east sequence. All are of irregular but angular plan with an average internal area of 100 square metres, and some idications of low sub-divisions. The walling is a similar mixture of coursed blocks, upright slabs, and rubble infill, generally 1.5 metres thick (exceptionally, at junctions 3.0 metres) and from 0.6 metres to 1.1 metres high. Three entrances are visible, others are obscured by tumble. The relatively good condition gives the impression of stock pens constructed at a later date than the settlement but this may be erroneous since their inherent strength would ensure survival.
The six internal hut circles are mostly in poor condition. All appear to be of Type II with double walling 1.3 metres wide and from 0.3 metres to 0.5 metres high. The levelled interiors are from 4.2 metres to 7.2 metres in diameter.
The whole area is densely overgrown with bracken which at the time of investigation was in a collapsed state but still 0.5 metre high. In this situation it is impossible to determine the presence or extent of an associated field system. Settlement surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.

Ancient Monuments, 1957, Settlement; schedule note (Schedule Document). SDV145251.

(04/04/1957) A walled enclosure containing 9-10 huts at the junction of Bala Brook with Red Brook. The wall is massive, though ruined and spread in places. The ends of the enclosure rest on the scarp to Bala Brook, and the fourth side is not otherwise defined. Four huts are freestanding, the others are attached to the wall. Those on the upper side are larger and less regular in shape; animal pens? The entrance is on the west side. A modern sheep pen is built onto the wall. Fairly good condition. The South West Water Authority fence crosses the enclosure, and a rain gauge has been erected. Four huts are 4.6m-6.7m in diameter. Three on the upper side are larger; 6.1m x 7.6m, 6.1m x 9.1m, 4.9m x 8.5m.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX6762, 2/307-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV177951.

Photograph taken on 14th April 1977.

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

Site visited on 10th May 1977. This pound is "D" shaped and appears never to have had a wall on the side towards the river, where the river bank may have been considered enough protection. The wall is 1 - 1.5 metres high and the stones are widely scattered on the uphill side. The enclosure wall of the Bala Brook water intake cuts across the north east side and three hut circles lie to the north of this, not two as shown on the Ordnance Survey 6" map. In the remaining part of the pound there are three definite hut circles as shown and one doubtful one and a series of roughly rectangular courts against the south west wall, Numbered 'A' to 'E'.
'A' is well preserved and may be a later rebuilding. 'B' is fragmentary and appears to have a division or drop in the level half way. 'C' measures 9.60 metres east to west by 10 metres north to south, and is described as a hut circle in the Ordnance Survey description. 'D' measures 10 metres east to west by 9.40 metres north to south. Both 'C' and 'D' have an entrance towards the centre of the pound and walls about 0.5 metres. 'E' is fragmentary and may represent another court.

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

The 1977 and 1946 aerial photographs show an enclosure cut by the Bala Brook with five courts attached to the southern wall and two hut circles attached to the internal wall. One double hut circle and three other hut circles occupy the centre of the enclosure.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 105-6, Map 57, Figure 57.3 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Enclosed hut group known as 'Half Ring' has been re-used as a pound for livestock at some more recent time. Several huts have been altered and the boundary wall heightened with neatly coursed stonework in places. The semi-circular enclosure is open towards the Bala Brook with no trace of a riverside wall. The boundary now ends on the lip of the bank which has been cut back to accommodate the water intake. Huts take up a considerable proportion of the interior area. Five of medium size once lined the inside of the circuit wall but several of these have been modified. Other recent features are the wide break in the adjoining boundary wall with the displaced stones piled on either side. Above the enclosure to the south-west are two free standing huts on the edge of the bank overlooking the eastern branch of the Red Brook.

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

Enclosure visible on aerial photograph.

Historic England, 2020, National Heritage List for England, 1012775 (National Heritage List for England). SDV363414.

D-shaped enclosure, south of Bala Brook and downstream of its confluence with Red Brook, is approximately 0.75ha in area with Bala Brook forming the flat side, which is not enclosed. It has a massive wall over 3m in width and over 1m in height. The wall's make up includes very large granite boulders, and it has an entrance in its southern side. Attached to the southern wall within the enclosure are five rectangular pens roughly 9.5m by 10m in width and length. Their walls have been rebuilt in places to a height of over a metre, with entrances facing into the enclosure. There are also at least seven hut circles, three cut off from the rest by the Water Board intake fence, they are up to 10m in diameter and their walls are up to 0.5m in height. Some of them retain evidence of entrances on their south-eastern sides.

Cunis, E, 2023, Images of huts in settlement north of Bala Brook (Photograph). SDV365312.

(06/02/2023) Site visited and series of images taken recording the condition of the huts in the Bala Brook settlement, showing condition and current vegetation growth. Current condition is noted as worse; thick bracken but also some hawthorn trees as well as gorse. Image taken near enclosure wall in south (approximately SX 6714 6282) facing north-north-west.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.