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Summary

A turf-covered cairn situated near the crest of the south-eastern slope of Riddon Ridge. It measures 8.4m north to south by 10.0m and stands to a maximum 0.9m high. There is no obvious trace of a kerb. Much stone is visible protruding through the turf and an amorphous hollow is situated slightly west of centre. A recumbent slab inscribed with the letters 'RHR' lies in the latter. The hollow possibly marks the site of an unrecorded excavation or it is the result of erosion around the originally upright inscribed stone.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and stone walling remains of an extensive Bronze Age field system, reaves, enclosures, cairns and hut circle settlements on Riddon Ridge overlain with a medieval field system and associated enclosures and Whiteslade post-medieval farmstead
• Scheduled Monument 1018930: Two irregular aggregate field systems with associated settlements, part of a coaxial field system, boundary stones and historic fields on Riddon Ridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NE22
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442468
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/11
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/327
• Old SAM Ref: 28733
• Old SAM Ref: 28773
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67NE22

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 42 AD (Between))
• BOUNDARY STONE (Constructed, XVIII to XIX - 1751 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Burnard, R., 1914, 33rd Report of the Barrow Committee, 94 (Article in Serial). SDV246863.

Small cairn, previously rifled. On excavation, bottom and part of side wall of a small vase and a few sherd fragments found, in centre of a stone-lined receptacle. Stones of the cairn around the pit were packed at an inward angle, thus backing up the wall of the cavity. Much wood charcoal, one flint flake and a few pieces of spar found.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2459-2460 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1952, SX67NE22 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV246864.

(26/7/1952) This cairn was surveyed at SX 6677 7626 while searching for cairn at SX 6691 7662.

National Monument Record, 1977, SX6676/2, 92-94 (Aerial Photograph). SDV246868.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 151 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 522 (Monograph). SDV249702.

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

Very clearly visible on Royal Air Force 1946 aerial photograph where it looks as if it has been eroded around the edge. The National Monuments Record 1977 aerial photograph shows it more overgrown with probably gorse or bilberries.

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

(27/08/1992) SX 66787626. A turf-covered cairn situated near the crest of the south-eastern slope of Riddon Ridge. It measures 8.4m north to south by 10.0m and stands to a maximum 0.9m high. There is no obvious trace of a kerb as suggested by the description on the Ordnance Survey 6 inch map of 1963. Much stone is visible protruding through the turf and an amorphous hollow is situated slightly west of centre. A recumbent slab inscribed with the letters 'RHR' lies in the latter. The hollow possibly marks the site of an unrecorded excavation or it is the result of erosion around the originally upright inscribed stone.
Another stone bearing the same inscription (SX 67 NE 140) lies 150m to the west. Three other stones (SX 67 NE 141, 142 and 143) with different inscriptions lie in a north-east to south-west line across the centre of the ridge.
The purpose of these stones is uncertain though Hemery (1983, 522) speculates that they might be tinners' bound stones.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152117, 152122, 17/03/1999 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Cairn on Riddon Ridge lying 1480m south-east of Bellever Bridge.
Round cairn. Diameter 11m, height 0.8m. Central pit measuring 4m by 4m by 0.4m deep. Gorse and grass covered mound. A boundary stone marked RHR lies within the centre of the cairn.
A boundary stone on Riddon ridge standing 1365m south-south-east of Bellever Bridge. This stone is recumbent and lies within a central pit in a prehistoric cairn (SX67NE/11). The stone bears the inscription RHR. The stone measures 1m long, 0.6m wide by 0.16m thick.

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

Visible.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8296 - Dartmeet Premier Archaeological Landscape (PAL) Field Investigation Project
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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