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Summary

Southern of two cists to east of trackway on south side of Lakehead Hill. The cist, which lies in a small cairn 4.5 metres diameter, is orientated north-north-west to south-south-east. Only three sides of the cist survive; the cap stone has also gone. It was excavated in 1914 when a pit containing charcoal was found.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018511: Two cairns with two cists and a stone hut circle on the east facing slope of Lakehead Hill forming part of a ritual complex

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NW38
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442617
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NW/32
• Old SAM County Ref: 965
• Old SAM Ref: 28688.2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1914, 33rd Report on Barrows, 93 (Article in Serial). SDV357807.

Worth, R. H., 1936, 55th Report on Barrows, 50, Fig. 8, Pl. 6 (Article in Serial). SDV357808.

A cist of which only three stones remain (Plan). In 1914 the two side stones which had fallen inwards were restored. In the centre was a pit, 15" diameter and 11" deep, containing charcoal. No other finds were made.

Birkett Dixon, C. E., 1952, 70th Report on Barrows, 251 (Article in Serial). SDV357809.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1952/1979, SX67NW38 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV264665.

(08/01/1952) The remains of the cist consists of three stone slabs forming the sides of a chamber and surrounded by a mound. Not trace of stone circle. Mound very low and ill-defined
(19/11/1979) In a cleared area on the forested ridge to the S.E. of Lakehead Hill, at 408m. O.D., is the remains of a cist with one end-stone and the coverstone missing. It protrudes slightly above the surface with the open end towards the N.W. It measures 1.1m. by 0.7m. and 0.4m. deep and is in fair condition; there are no traces of a cairn.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on M.S.D.

Dartmoor National Park Authority + Forestry Commission + Dartmoor Preservation Association, 1976, Conservation of Ancient Monuments. The Report of a Working Party, Lakehead 18A, site 1A (Report - non-specific). SDV248248.

Bellever Plantation. Lakehead 18A. Spooner and Dixon 1955 Report: lakehead - Bellever-Laughter Site No. 1.
(1976) Kist, northern end stone and capstone missing. The two side stones are 1.22 metres and 1.14 metres in length, the southern end stone, 1.28 metres long. Excavated in 1914 when a circular pit, 0.35 metres diameter and 0.27 metres deep containing charcoal was discovered.
Not planted over. Five posts ringing clearance zone. Trees outside post ring are within falling distance of kist.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 150 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(14/10/1975) In clearing. Approached by path from main north-south trackway. Traces of cairn enclosing cist placed south-east to north-west. North-west end slab missing. Excavated by Burnard in 1914. Within the cist was a circular pit containing charcoal, which was also found elsewhere in the cist.

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

Not visible on 1951 RAF aerial photo.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(04/11/1993) SX 64717717. A cist and slight cairn lie in a clearing within a Forestry Commission plantation south east of Lakehead Hill. The cist is as recorded in 1979. It lies slightly north west of the centre of a low mound, probably the remains of an enclosing cairn. The latter is quite faint and irregular measuring about 4.5m in diameter and a maximum of 0.25m high. The site is protected by a ring of antiquity markers.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140581 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(08/07/1997) A cist on the east facing slope of Lakehead Hill forming part of a ritual complex cairn diameter 4.5 metres, height 0.2 metres. Cist 1.1 metres by 0.75 metres by 0.42 metres deep. A 3-sided cist aligned 330 degrees. The north-north-west stone is missing. Situated within a small clearing, some grass and moss but predominantly covered in pine needles. There is a second parallel slab on the
A 1 metre wide, 0.2 metre high rubble bank lies 32 metres west-north-west from the cist and is exposed in the path leading to the cist. The bank is 5 metres long and curves gently but no sign of it within the neighbouring trees. Ground level within the path is 0.3 metres lower than surrounding area and this may explain the appearance of this feature which survives elsewhere as a buried feature.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 48-51, 239, Map 27, Figure 27.12 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Lakehead Hill cairn '8' at SX64887718 with a cist. All that remains of this cairn are the two sides and an end slab of a cist on the very slight mound in a clearing in the plantation. Burnard re-erected the side slabs which were lying flat and excavated the cist in 1914. No artefacts were found but the infill contained charcoal and more was recovered from a shallow pit dug below floor level at the centre of the cist.

Smith, N., 1992, Condition Survey of Identified Archaeology with Woodland Areas 1992 (Un-published). SDV351819.

Bellever 18A. Kist in clearing near track. Vegetation currently managed. Site marked by posts. No trees within marked out area. Stability of site good. Recommended that present good management scheme be maintained. Photos.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 1996, Condition Survey of Identified Archaeology within Woodland Areas 1996 (Un-published). SDV351820.

(24/09/1996) Site marked by one post. Cist may suffer damage from tree roots close by. More posts are needed to mark the site. Photo.

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.

English Heritage, 2015, National Heritage List for England, 1018511 (National Heritage List for England). SDV357602.

Two cairns with two cists and a stone hut circle on the east facing slope of Lakehead Hill forming part of a ritual complex.
Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and, because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country. The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provide direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time. Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved and most dense concentrations of round cairns in south- western Britain.
As well as the round cairns within this ritual complex on Lakehead Hill, there are two stone alignments and at least three cists. Together with other funerary sites in the vicinity, this area contains considerable evidence for ritual activity in this part of Bronze Age Dartmoor.
Details: The southern cairn survives as a small 4.5m diameter mound standing up to 0.2m high. In the centre of the cairn is a three sided cist, orientated NNW to SSE, measuring internally 1.1m long by 0.75m wide and 0.42m deep. When this cist was part excavated in 1914 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee a pit containing charcoal was found. (See schedule description for details of other monuments within scheduled area).

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

Cist and mound visible on aerial photograph.

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

'Cist' shown on modern mapping.

Department of Environment, April 1975, Kist SE of Lakehead Hill, DV965 (Schedule Document). SDV357806.

Stone kist, 4 feet by 2 feet, end slabs overlapping side ones. No sign of surrounding cairn. Excavated 1914. In clearing in forest plantation.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6216 - Condition Surveys of Ancient Monuments on Forestry Commission Land
• 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
• EDV8485 - Excavation of cairn, Bellever Plantation
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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