See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

A cairn lying on a gentle west facing slope; prior to afforestation it would have overlooked the valley of the Cherry Brook. The cairn survives as a 7.7 metre diameter and 0.8 metre high mound denoted on its eastern side by at least five edge set stones standing up to 0.35 metres high. In the centre of the mound is a substantial cist, measuring 1.4 metres long by 0.48 metres wide and 0.5 metres deep, which is aligned NNW to SSE. The northern end stone appears to be missing and the eastern edge stone has slipped inwards. To the west of the cist and partially overhanging it is a substantial slab measuring 1.84 metres long by 1.48 metres wide and 0.35 metres thick. This stone represents the capstone discarded during robbing. The cist had already been disturbed before it was investigated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1901. Scheduled.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018508: A cairn and cist 380m west and a cairn and standing stone 370m south west of Bellever Tor, forming an outlying part of a cairn cemetery

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NW43
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442632
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NW/36
• Old SAM Ref: 28684

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

Burnard, R., 1891, Dartmoor Pictorial Records, II, pg 38 (Article in Serial). SDV222204.

Baring Gould, S., 1901, 7th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 136 (Article in Serial). SDV249499.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 114 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

Worth, r. H. /tda/34(1902)21st report of the barrow committee.

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

'Kistvaen' shown on early 20th century map.

Worth, R. H., 1935, 54th Report on Barrows, 78, pl. 4 (Article in Serial). SDV346265.

Remains of a barrow with a 4' x 3' cist (Plan) within some stones of a 15 ft diameter retaining circle.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX67NW43, Sketch plan, photograph (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV262722.

(31/08/1950) The kist is in a cairn which is completely covered by turf and heather. Diameter of the cairn is 6.5m. Two stones of the retaining circle are uncovered on the north side of the cairn. The kist is in good condition with the cover stone moved to one side. The north east side stone has slipped and is leaning inward. The north west end stone has gone. Bellever newtake. Excavated without result. There remain 2 side stones both leaning toward the centre line of the kist. The kist stands in the remains of a barrow and there are some stones of a retaining circle.

Birkett Dixon, C. E., 1952, 70th Report on Barrows, 252 (Article in Serial). SDV165393.

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 in cairn with part of retaining circle. Cist (side stones length 1.2m, length 1.37m, southern end 1.14m, coverstone (length 1.5m, 1.3m thick) No. 2b in Bellever Plantation, Bellever Tor (with sketch map) in DNP field report.

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

(12/09/1973) Diameter 10.0m north-south and 8.0m west-east. Height 0.9m. Cairn with signs of inner retaining circle 4.7m in diameter, enclosing cist, placed SSE by NNW, slightly south of centre. North-western slab missing. Cairn is sited west of Bellever Tor.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX67NW43 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV262716.

(02/11/1979) SX 64087646. On the west slope of Bellever Tor at 420m. O.D. is a cairn with a cist and part of a retaining circle (see ground photographs). The cairn is much spread and disturbed and measures 9.7m. from north to south, 8.1m. from east to west, and 0.5m. high. The retaining circle protrudes from the southern half of the cairn material and is about 5.5m. in diameter The cist is orientated NW/SE and measures 1.3m. long by 0.5m. wide and 0.4m. deep with a coverstone to the west as shown on Worth's plan.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on M.S.D. and at 1:2500 for A.O. Records.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP, No. 2b (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Not visible on NMR 1977 aerial images.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 75, E26 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform circle. Ring of kerb stones, 4.5m internal diameter, enclosing flat-topped cairn 0.3m high with central cist. Fire break material added to western side of cairn.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 144247 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(08/07/1997) Two cairns, one containing a cist and a standing stone lying west of Bellever Tor and forming part of a cairn cemetery.
Height 0.3m, length 7.8m, width 7.7m. Kerbed with cist.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 52-3, 239, Map 27, Figure 27.14 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Bellever Tor cairn '1' at SX64087648 of circa 6.5 metres diameter by 1.0 metres high with a cist on the edge of the plantation to the west of Bellever Tor. When first recorded in 1890 the cairn had been dug into with the up-cast thrown out on the north side giving it an egg shaped outline. The cover slab of the cist had been shifted sideways exposing three sides of the cist. The retaining circle was said to be in a good condition in 1890 but only three stones now stand clear of the turf, with another perhaps of an inner ring surrounding the cist.

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

(04/11/1993) SX 64087646. This site is as recorded by th Ordnance Survey (1979). The northern side of the cairn has been damaged by stone clearance prior to tree planting. The site is protected by Forestry Commission antiquity markers.

ADAS RECORD SHEET, 1995, Cairns on Bellever Tor (Site Visit). SDV262732.

Visited on 15th February 1995 and recorded as stable.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

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

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

'Cairn & Cist' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1018508 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

The monument, which falls into two areas of protection, includes two cairns, one containing a cist, and a standing stone lying on a gentle west facing slope; prior to afforestation they would have overlooked the valley of the Cherry Brook. The northern cairn survives as a 7.7 metres diameter and 0.8 etresm high mound denoted on its eastern side by at least five edge set stones standing up to 0.35m high. In the centre of the mound is a substantial cist, measuring 1.4 metres long by 0.48 metres wide and 0.5 metres deep, which is aligned north-north-west to south-south-east. The northern end stone appears to be missing and the eastern edge stone has slipped inwards. To the west of the cist and partially overhanging it is a substantial slab measuring 1.84 metres long by 1.48 metres wide and 0.35 metres thick. This stone represents the capstone discarded during robbing. The cist had already been disturbed before it was investigated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1901.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

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
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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