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Summary

Cairn on the south side of Sooussons Plantation is an 8.6 metres diameter ring of at least 22 edge set stones standing up to 0.85 metres high. In the centre of the cairn is a cist with both side stones remaining visible. This cist measures at least 1.3 metres long by 0.5 metres wide and when excavated in 1903 two coils of human hair were found

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018789: A ring cairn 700m south east of Runnage Bridge, on the southern side of Soussons Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NE6
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442452
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/36
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/36/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 190
• Old SAM Ref: 28695
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67NE5
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67NE6

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey, SX67NE55, SX67NE5 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV285876.

Diagram. In good condition. Photographed in April 1939.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Stone Circle' shown on 19th century map.

Burnard, R., 1890, Notes on Dartmoor Kistvaens, 206 (Article in Serial). SDV265355.

Worth, R. H., 1903, 22nd Report of the Barrow Committee, 142 (Article in Serial). SDV288725.

Worth, R. H., 1904, 23rd Report of the Barrow Committee, 101 (Article in Serial). SDV290708.

Worth, R. H., 1904, 23rd Report of the Barrow Committee, 101 (Article in Serial). SDV290708.

(1903) Soussons Common, near Ephraims Pinch. Fine example of retaining circle. Consists of 23 stones, still standing, one may not be in its original position. Encloses a cist.

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

'Stone Circle' shown on early 20th century map.

Worth, R. H., 1926, 45th Report of the Barrow Committee, 117-8, pl.5 (Article in Serial). SDV290778.

A 28 feet diameter cairn circle with a central cist (plan). The tallest stone in the cairn circle is about 2 feet high. Excavated 1903; nothing found.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/540, 3148-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV285230.

Photograph taken on 1st June 1950.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 182, fig.61, pl.34a. (Monograph). SDV231148.

Grinsell, L. V., 1970, Discovering Regional Archaeology: South Western England, 29, pl.16. (Monograph). SDV304192.

Grinsell, L. V., 1972, Witchcraft at Barrows and other Prehistoric sites, 58-59 (Article in Serial). SDV290785.

(21/07/1972) Cairn with retaining circle, enclosing cist. In floor at northern end of cist, a circular pit in which were two large coils of human hair, which F. T. Elworthy suggested might have been placed there for the purpose of witchcraft. Diameter 13.5m, height 0.3m.

Dartmoor National Park Authority + Forestry Commission + Dartmoor Preservation Association, 1976, Conservation of Ancient Monuments. The Report of a Working Party, No.1a (Report - non-specific). SDV248248.

Ring cairn diameter 8.2m north-south, 8.6m east-west, largest stone (height 0.75m, width 1.5m, thickness 0.2m) not included in 1955 Spooner/Dixon report. Site no.1a in Soussons Plantation, Ephraims Pinch (with sketch map) in DNP field report. Site no 2/8 in thom's report (1976).
Cist: western stone (length 1.58m), eastern stone (length 1.37m, distance apart 0.56m). Not included in 1955 report. Site no.1a in Soussons Plantation, Ephraims Pinch (with sketch map) in DNP field report.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 155, Manaton 9. (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

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

It is only just visible on RAF 1950 aerial photograph.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Visited 06/10/1986.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 42 71 fig 28/d2. (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

(1976) An elliptical circle with twenty-three stones. Cist in cairn with only two sides remaining. Has been investigated, not planted over.
Small orthostatic circle around a cist. Circle 8.5m east-west, 8.2 north-west.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 149026 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(03/07/1998) A ring cairn on the southern side of Soussons Down. Diameter 8.6m, height 0.85m. Cist 1.3m by 0.5m. One of southern stones defaced with a benchmark. Stones forming the ring stand up to 0.85m high. Cist aligned at 341 degrees, with only 2 sides visible protruding just above the ground surface. Covered in grass with some bilberry. Fire scorch marks 1m beyond cairn. In a forest edge clearing. The cairn itself is being kept clear of heather.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 19-20, 238, Map 24, Figure 24.3 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Soussons Plantation S. cairn at SX67527868 of 8.6 metres diameter with a cist. A circle of 22 earthfast stones surrounds the remains of a cist, of which the two side slabs remain visible. During the excavation of the cist in 1903 a false floor of paving slabs was found to underlie the earth infilling, concealing two large coils of human hair.

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

Visible on aerial photograph.

Bray, L. + Crabb, A., 2017, HER Field Updates (Cartographic). SDV361914.

Visited 06/10/2017. Photographed and location plotted on GPS.

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

'Stone Circle' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1018789 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

The monument includes a ring cairn situated on a ridge overlooking the valleys of the East Dart and West Webburn Rivers. The cairn survives as a an 8.6 metres diameter ring of at least 22 edge set stones standing up to 0.85 metres high. In the centre of the cairn is a north-north-west to south-south-east orientated cist, with both side stones remaining visible. This cist measures at least 1.3 metres long by 0.5 metres wide and when excavated in 1903 two coils of human hair were found.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7390 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7402 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7421 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7431 - Woodland Survey (1989-90) at Bellever, Soussons and other woodland parcels
• EDV8482 - Ring cairn investigated, Soussons Common

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