See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

The remains of a cairn on Lakehead Hill. It includes an 8 metre diameter and 0.1 metre high mound containing a north west to south east orientated cist measuring 0.9 metres long by 0.55 metres wide. The cist is now backfilled and protrudes 0.4 metres high above the present land surface. Part excavation of the cist in 1898 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, revealed flint knives and scrapers together with pottery fragments and charcoal. Scheduled.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018510: Five cairns, two stone alignments and three cists, forming part of a ritual complex on Lakehead Hill

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NW11
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442542
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NW/9
• Old SAM County Ref: 454D
• Old SAM Ref: 28687.2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1898, 17th Report of the Barrow Committee, 77-8, pl.1,2 (Article in Serial). SDV345618.

A cist without a cover exists on "that part of Lake Head Hill which is included in Sheet 99 SW". No retaining circle is visible but there are slight remains of a possible barrow. In the cist a number of flint knives and scrapers and thirty sherds (representing two vessels which were probably broken during apparent grave robbing) were found.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Kistvaen (Remains of)' shown on early 20th century map.

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 361 (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

Worth, R. H., 1936, 55th Report on Barrows, 49, pl.3,4 (Article in Serial). SDV357808.

(The cist is on the same alignment as a fragment of stone row at SX 67 NW 64).

Birkett Dixon, C. E., 1952, 70th Report on Barrows, 252, no.66 (Article in Serial). SDV165393.

Ancient Monuments, 1960, Schedule note (Schedule Document). SDV263547.

(July 1960) Round barrows on Lakehead Hill. Rectangular cist about 914mm by 305mm in clearing of woodland beside path.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/F63/58/6399, 028-029 (Aerial Photograph). SDV229824.

Dartmoor National Park Authority + Forestry Commission + Dartmoor Preservation Association, 1976, Conservation of Ancient Monuments. The Report of a Working Party (Report - non-specific). SDV248248.

Cist. Associated with cairn. Marked on Ordnance Survey 6 inch map. Included in 1955 Spooner / Dixon report: (Lakehead Bellever Laughter), site No.9. Site No.9a in Bellever Plantation, Lakehead (with sketch map) in DNP field report.
(1976) Only slight traces can now be seen. The cist is in perfect condition, however the cover stone is missing. When excavated, broken pottery, several flint scrapers and knives were found. Has not been planted over.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 149 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(07/09/1972) Cist on Lakehead Hill in clearance on edge of plantation. Cist placed south-south-east by north-north-west - all four slabs in position. Excavated c.1892, sherds of two pots found, probably bronze age, smaller has a rim probably of a coarse Beaker of Gorsey Bigbury (in Somerset) or related type. Flint instruments included three excellent scrapers, some wood charcoal but no traces of bone or bone ash. Sherds, scraper and flint in Plymouth City Museum.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX67NW11 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV263555.

(21/11/1979) On the NW slope of Lakehead Hill at 417m OD is the remains of a cist in a forestry clearing. Aligned NW/SE, and in good condition, it measures 0.95m long by 0.55m wide and 0.4m above ground level.
There is no surrounding cairn but excavation spoil from the cist lies to the N. The cist is now as amended on Worth's plan. See also ground photograph.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and 1:2500 on AO 25".

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 484 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Additional bibliography.

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

Not visible on RAF 1951 aerial photographs.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 144623 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(09/07/1997) Cairn and cist forming part of a ritual complex on Lakehead Hill. Diameter 8m, height 0.1m. Cist 0.9m by 0.55m, oriented north-west by south-east. Now backfilled. Stands up to 0.4m above ground surface. Lies in centre of 4m diameter and 0.1m deep hollow. In small clearing adjoining main one. Does not appear to have been planted over although roots may have caused damage.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 50-51, 238, Map 27, Figure 27.13 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Lakehead Hill cairm '2' at SX64257769 with only the cist remaining. Four sides of a cist remain at the centre of a very slight mound. It appears in much the same condition as when excavated in 1898, when not only had practically all the cairn stones been carted away along with the cover slab, but the cist had been emptied of most of its contents. However when excavated by Burnard a large haul of artefacts were recovered including six flint knives and scapers, fragments of pottery and some wood charcoal.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(22/11/1993) SX 64267769. A cist sited on the north-west, upper slopes of Lakehead Hill within its own clearing at the edge of conifer plantation. It is constructed from four granite slabs of approximately 0.2m thick, set on their sides to form a rectangular chamber measuring internally 0.8m by 0.5m by 0.35m deep. The largest of the slabs is 1.35m long. The coverstone is now missing and all that remains of the associated cairn is a small stoney mound on the north side of the cist.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Cairn and cist shown on survey.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 2014, Bellever: An Archaeological Landscape (Leaflet). SDV357070.

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

Visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

'Cist' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1018510 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

The monument, which falls into five areas of protection, includes five cairns, two stone alignments and three cists lying on a gentle slope near the summit of Lakehead Hill. This cairn includes an 8 metres diameter and 0.1 metre high mound containing a north-west to south-east orientated cist measuring 0.9 metres long by 0.55 metres wide. The cist is now backfilled and protrudes 0.4 metres high above the present land surface. Part excavation of the cist in 1898 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, revealed flint knives and scrapers together with pottery fragments and charcoal.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6643 - BEAKER (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)
• FDV7751 - KNIFE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)
• FDV6644 - SCRAPER (TOOL) (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC?)

Associated Events

• EDV7388 - Archaeological condition survey in Bellever Woods
• EDV7406 - Archaeological condition survey in Bellever Woods
• EDV7431 - Woodland Survey (1989-90) at Bellever, Soussons and other woodland parcels
• EDV8496 - Excavation of cairn, Lakehead Hill
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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