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Summary

Cairn and cist on Chittaford Down. The cairn is 8 metres diameter by 0.6 metres high with edge set stones denoting the survival of a kerb. The cist is 1.3 metres long, 0.5 metres wide and up to 0.65 metres deep. When excavated a pit was found below the cist containing charcoal, a flint flake and an archer's stone wrist-guard was found under one of the side stones.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021330: Cairn and cist on Chittaford Down, 300m north of Archerton

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NW3
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442516
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NW/62
• Old SAM County Ref: 920
• Old SAM Ref: 34489

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1901, 7th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 135 (Article in Serial). SDV249499.

Archerton Newtake, between Roe Tor and Cherrybrook, two cairns and pits in subsoil beneath. Burnt bone in cist and an archer's wrist guard fashioned from a fine, gritty stone and rubbed down smooth, perforated at each corner, two of the holes on reverse side are countersunk to accommodate the knots of the thongs which bound the guard to the wrist. The obverse is slightly convex and the reverse concave.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 110 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

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

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

Burnard, R., 1906, Early Man, 361 (Article in Monograph). SDV322231.

Brailsford, J. W., 1938, Bronze Age Stone Monuments of Dartmoor, 458 (Article in Serial). SDV304210.

Worth, R. H., 1938, Cairn between Roe Tor and Cherrybrook, 60, Plate VI (Article in Serial). SDV249515.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1978, SX67NW3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV249500.

(23/06/1950) Kistvaen, remains of. The two side stones and two end stones are in place, the cover stone is missing. The north east side stone is 1.5m long, the south west side stone 1.1m long, the north west end stone is 0.4m long and the south east end stone is 0.5m long. Internal width is 0.5m and internal length 1.2m. The present depth of the kistvaen is 0.7m at its south east end. The kistvaen is set in a barrow 6m in diameter and 0.5m high. Of the possible retaining circle four stones remain. Other details: Sketch, Plan and Photograph.
(08/09/1978) At SX 63677946 on Chithaford Down is a cairn of diameter 8.0m and height 0.6m, with seven stones of a peristalith protruding through the turf. There is a central cist oriented north west/south east consisting of two-side stones and two end-stones, one of which is displaced.
The cist measures 1.3m x 0.5m. internally and is 0.65m deep.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

RAF, 1951, 540/483/4047-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV249517.

Ancient Monuments, 1972, Cist within small mound (Site Visit). SDV249501.

A stone cist 6m by 1.3m in size set within a small mound, now only just noticeable with an approximately diameter of 5m. The monument is situated in grassland forming rough pasture for cattle and ponies.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 147 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Diameter of mound 7.2m, height 0.3m. Diameter of circle is 5.3m. Cairn with retaining circle of which 7 stones are clearly visible enclosing cist, placed SE/NW. Excavated by Baring-Gould. Centre of cist contained a pit with wood charcoal and flint flake, also an archer's wrist guard. Finds in Plymouth City Museum.

Robinson, R., 1983, FMW (Site Visit). SDV245177.

Visited on 29th June 1983.

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

One cairn just visible at SX63677946 on RAF 1951 AP. Two cairns and pits visible

Robinson, R., 1986, Settlement and Cairn (Site Visit). SDV320302.

Visited on 14th August 1986

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

(24/08/1989) At SX63687945. Cairn visible as a turf covered stony mound, 7.8m in diameter and 0.5m height. Seems only slightly disturbed. A few stones are visible around the periphery but no true kerb. A central cist measured 1.5m NW-SE by 0.5m internally and is 0.7m deep. The NE slab is 1.5m long and 0.25m thick; the SW slab is 1.2m long 0.15m thick and the SE end slab 0.5m wide 0.2m thick. This end is formed by a `sandwich' of two slabs though, only the top of the outer one is evident, about 0.3m by 0.3m. The NW end slab is missing as is the corner slab. A large partly turf covered slab laid flat on top of the cairn in the NE may be the missing end slab as it is too small for a cover. The stone recorded at the NW end by Worth, 1938 and OS, 1978 is now laid loose in the bottom of the cist. It is 0.3m by 0.25m by 0.15m and appears too small to have been the NW end slab.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 48, 75 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform circle. Ring of kerbstones, internal diameter 4.5m enclosing flat-topped 0.2m high, with central cist. Other details: E28.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 48. 238, Map 27 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Chittaford Down cairn '3' at SX63677946 of 7.0 metres diameter by 0.5 metres high with a cist. The cairn was excavated in 1891 when a central pit lay beneath the cist, with only tree sides remaining in which was found wood, charcoal and a flint flake. An archer's stone wristguard was recovered from under one of the side stones of the cist

Ancient Monuments, 2004, Cairn between roe Tor and Cherry Brook (Schedule Document). SDV320287.

The monument provides an insight into Bronze Age funerary and ritual activity as well as providing information concerning territorial control on the moor.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

'Cairn & Cist'shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

The monument includes a cairn and cist situated on a north east facing slope on Chittaford Down overlooking the valley of the East Dart River.
The cairn survives as an 8m diameter mound standing up to 0.6m. The periphery of the mound is denoted in places by edge set stones denoting the survival of a kerb. In the centre of the mound is a cist which survives as a rectangular pit denoted on three sides by edge set slabs. The cist is orientated north west-south east and measures 1.3m long, 0.5m wide and up to 0.65m deep.
The cairn was partially excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1900 and this work revealed a pit below the cist containing charcoal and a flint flake. More significantly, below one of the side stones of the cist an archer's stone wrist-guard was found.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1021330 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

The monument includes a cairn and cist situated on a north east facing slope on Chittaford Down overlooking the valley of the East Dart River. The cairn survives as an 8 metres diameter mound standing up to 0.6 metres. The periphery of the mound is denoted in places by edge set stones denoting the survival of a kerb. In the centre of the mound is a cist which survives as a rectangular pit denoted on three sides by edge set slabs. The cist is orientated north-west to south-east and measures 1.3 metres long, 0.5 metres wide and up to 0.65 metres deep. The cairn was partially excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1900 and this work revealed a pit below the cist containing charcoal and a flint flake. More significantly, below one of the side stones of the cist an archer's stone wrist-guard was found.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5878 - ARM GUARD (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC?)
• FDV5877 - HUMAN REMAINS (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC?)

Associated Events

• EDV632 - Excavation of cairn, Chittaford Down
• EDV8648 - Middle Merripit Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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