See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Kes Tor field system. A well-developed parallel reave and coaxial field system around Kes Tor rock on Chagford Common. Around 30 hut circles are scattered throughout the system; see related records. Partly scheduled.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016691: Coaxial field system and prehistoric settlements at Kestor

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443663
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/6
• Old SAM County Ref: 261
• Old SAM Ref: 28714
• Old SAM Ref: 28715
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68NE1
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68NE14
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68NE67

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COAXIAL FIELD SYSTEM (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• PARALLEL REAVE SYSTEM (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ormerod, G. W., 1876/1896?, Rude stone remains situated on the easterly side of Dartmoor (Rude stone remains situated on the easterly side of Dartmoor(Rude stone remains situated on the easterly side of Dartmoor (s913.031 U) (Record Office Collection). SDV274552.

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

Several groups of 'Hut Circles' and single 'Hut Circle' shown within the settlement on 19th century map.

Curwen, E. C., 1927, Prehistoric Agriculture in Britain, 227 fig. 21, 281-286 (Article in Serial). SDV173835.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, 1362-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2082, 3286-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV221887.

Ancient Monuments, 1948, Schedule note (Schedule Document). SDV274524.

(1948) 12 or more hut circles with associated rectangular fields covering the ground between kes tor rocks and the metalled road to batworthy house (chagford parish), and continuing in gidleigh parish nw of road. The huts are all large, built of large granite orthostats set 1.4m apart and space filled with loose stones. The field- walls are mostly row of orthostats. Condition good. The huts do not appear to have been touched, and the preservation of this site, together with batworthy pound, from forestry, the military etc. Is of highest importance.

Fox, A., 1952, Nineteenth Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon, 246 (Article in Serial). SDV336876.

Early Iron Age settlement reoccupied in 13th and 14th century. Fields extensive and partly remade.

Fox, A., 1954, Excavations at Kestor, 21-62 (Article in Serial). SDV304231.

Fox, A., 1955, Twenty-Second Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon, 20 pt.1, 87-102 (Article in Serial). SDV148060.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1956-1974, SX68NE14 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV274636.

Settlement containing hut circles and fields on Kes Tor.
The settlement consists of 27 huts, average diameter 7 metres, the majority are imposing structures, with walls faced internally with large vertical slabs and externally with bedded boulders.
Most of the dwellings are isolated, but there are also groups of two or three huts. The field walls consist of one or two lines of upright bedded slabs and boulders. The fields are nearly all rectilinear but vary in size; it is evident that the smaller ones are centred on the huts. There are two sunk roadways through the fields.
Date: 1st half of Iron Age A. The catalogue of finds lists pottery, objects of stone (whetstone hammer stone, quern stone, anvil stone, spindle whorl, rubber), flint and chert (arrow, flake, scraper, 22 pieces), pebbles, quartz crystals, hornfels, iron ore, iron slag, report on samples of charcoal and peat, pollen analysis.

Kestor Settlement, Bronze or Iron Age. On north, north-west and north-east slopes of Kes Tor is a group of about 27 huts. There is an associated layout of rectangular fields defined by lines of upright slabs, and there are two probably contemporary sunk roads, each running north-north-east to south-south-west (one on each side of the road) between Batworthy and Teigncombe. To the west of this road is round pound. Excavation has shown that this settlement dates from the Iron Age, the 4 radial walls extending from the huts to the round are probably medieval.

Fox, A., 1957, Huts and Fields at Kestor Chagford, 155 (Article in Serial). SDV274563.

Gawne, E. + Somers Cockes, J. V., 1968, Parallel Reaves on Dartmoor, 278-9 (Article in Serial). SDV345858.

(Est 1967) Elongated fields found here during Lady Fox's excavation. Some remodelled in Medieval times. A clear set of reaves extending across the forest boundary to Stone Tor Hill. Another set still visible near entrance to Fernworthy Plantations and continues inside the planted areas. Ormerod published a plan of the old fields and reaves near Kestor, showing low banks extending parallel to each other beyond area covered by the fields proper.

Grinsell, L. V., 1970, Discovering Regional Archaeology: South Western England, 26 (Monograph). SDV304192.

National Monument Record, 1977, NMR SX6586, 2/59-63 (Aerial Photograph). SDV220197.

National Monument Record, 1977, NMR SX6785, 1/464/473 (Aerial Photograph). SDV227539.

National Monument Record, 1977, SX6686, 6/54-56 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274641.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SX68NE67, SX68NE67 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV274549.

A shorter third row, to the west of the two already recorded (SX 68 NE 16), begins with an extant stone and converges on the Four-fold Circle (SX 68 NE 17). This line is maintained to the east as recorded, but then continues south east, after a gap, for 150m. The two rows diverge after leaving the cist (SX 68 NE 34) therefore we have two groups of single and double rows, one converging at the Four-fold Circle, the other at the cist, and joined by the intermediate stone rows.
(26/07/1978) The foregoing description (citing SMR) appears to apply to part of an 800.0m long reave extending from SX 65738640 to SX 66168573, which cuts across the stone row complex (SX 68 NE 16 'A' & 'C') at SX 65948602).
(See AM surveys SX 6585/86 & SX 6685).

Fleming, A., 1983, The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor. Part 2: North and East Dartmoor, 195-241 (Article in Serial). SDV227880.

Kestor system has an excellent example of a staggered terminal reave. Terminal just west of the Round Pound runs south to meet the northern edge of a further block of parallel reaves whose terminal, near the junction point, is located c 35m west. The southern terminal does not join Teign divider reave, suggesting the existence of a buffer zone. The most southerly reave, which pre-dates the terminal, ends on a small cairn of the type which tends to enclose a cist. This seems to be the only case where a burial cairn is used as an aiming-point by a reave.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DK, 3, 4, 5, 5a (Aerial Photograph). SDV343378.

Fleming, A., 1984, The Prehistoric Landscape of Dartmoor; Wider Implications, 7 (Article in Serial). SDV320417.

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

This is the Chagford Common parallel reave system extensive reaves which continue as field boundaries in the north-east and extending south-westwards across Chagford Common. There are extensions to this reave system further south SX68NE/7 on Thornworthy Tor and west on Shovel Down SX68NE/88 continuing onto SX68NW/113. Well preserved as seen on the NMR 1977 and 1947 RAF aerial photos. Associated enclosures and hut circles occur throughout the system.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/EM, 3, 5, 6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274678.

Griffith, F. M., 1987, DAP/IS, 15 (Aerial Photograph). SDV129838.

Griffith, F. M., 1987, DAP/IT, 1-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDV7186.

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

(11/10/1991) Centred SX 66308635. Approximately 120ha of a well-developed parallel reave system around Castor Rock on Chagford Common. This is one of three such systems (see also SX 68 NW 24 & SX 68 NE 146) that are visible on the unenclosed land between the North and South Teign Rivers (Fleming 1988 Fig 29)(3). The unenclosed land between these rivers has been surveyed at 1:2500 in 1991 by RCHME.
The SW edge of the Castor system is marked by a terminal reave (Flemings 'Scorhill Reave'. 1988 53) running SSE-NNW from Thornworthy Corner to the North Teign River 100m W of Teign-e-ver Bridge. A well defined watershed reave marks the SE edge while the E boundary is lost in enclosed land. The pattern of the modern fields on the steeply sloping E flank of Chagford Common appears to fossilize the main axial orientation of the reaves. As such the parallel system can be traced a further c500m eastwards, at least to the slight plateau below the common. The North Teign River may have formed the N edge though Fleming (1988 Fig 29) assumes that the surveyed area is only part of a much larger system that extends N a further 1.8Km.
While the major axis of the system runs SW-NE a slight angle change is visible roughly between Castor Rock and Round Pound. This change may possibly be related to the particularly strong transverse reaves in this area or simply result from problems with sight lines on the initial setting out The latter is obviously the case with the reversed S-shaped axial reaves of the Shovel Down System (see RCHME 1:2500 Shovel Down survey).
Within the surveyed area of the system are a number of largely well constructed hut circles (SX 68 NE 11,15,37,55,126-138 & 160). These huts appear to be contemporary with the reaves and not earlier as in the case of several of the Shovel Down settlements.
Round Pound (SX 68 NE 14), excavated by Fox (Fox 1954)(4), is of Iron Age date. With its associated 'droveway' it is closely superimposed on the Bronze Age landscape.
Another unmetalled trackway to the SE, is visible between SX 66698676 and SX 66848694. It is similar to the droveway but seems to be an original feature of this system. East of the Common it exists as a walled lane through the modern fields.
The W margin of the reave system is only lightly developed and no axial or transverse reaves exist in the area of the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age lithic monuments (SX 68 NE 16,17 & 34).
The terminal reave largely negotiates these features though it does bisect a single row.
Medieval and later activity in this area consists of a wide range of unconnected monuments. For their positions and NAR numbers see RCHME 1:2500 Castor survey.

Fleming, A., 1988, The Dartmoor Reaves: Investigating Prehistoric Land Divisions, 1.9.21.29.46.53.70.126; figs 11,29. (Monograph). SDV229071.

Devon County Council, 1989, DAP/PJ, 14-15 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274652.

Department of Environment, 1989, SMC Letter (Correspondence). SDV274564.

(15/03/1989, 27/07/1989, 19/10/1989) Consent granted for digging trench for underground electricity and BT telephone cable supply.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/TV, 1-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV160790.

Gibson, A., 1990, Excavations at Kestor Field Systems Dartmoor July 1989 (Report - Excavation). SDV363148.

The proposed bt trench cut through a number of reaves. Sections across these were excavated in advance of trenching, by gibson, in july 1989. Although the route passed through areas already disturbed, some buried soils were discovered and pollen analysed. Two possible periods of occupation identified: mid-2nd millennium and Medieval.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 149104; 149138-9;149148-53 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(01/04/1997) At SX 66608645. Coaxial field system at Kestor.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 170-174, Map 36, Figure 36.1 (Monograph). SDV219155.

A large prehistoric settlement covers all but the south-western slopes of Kes Tor, originally excluding the rock itself though this was later partly incorporated within the enclosed area. Mesolithic and neolithic artefacts have been recovered from the area suggesting extensive occupation before the Bronze Age enclosures. Many of the modern field walls still follow the course of the original ones down the eastern slopes. How far the settlement extended to the east is uncertain. The original western boundary of the settlement seems to have been a north=west to south-east reave based on this axial reave which passes just to the east of Kes Tor rock. The majority of the huts and smaller fields lie on the northern slopes of the tor, the only area with a considerable amount of surface stone and small rock outcrops.

Department of National Heritage, 1994, SMC Letter (Correspondence). SDV274568.

(17/08/1994) Consent granted for clearance of silt from the leat and the reinstatement of part of the leat bank.

Griffiths, D., 1995, Letter (Correspondence). SDV274570.

(27/07/1995) Tractor damage restored by harrowing and rolling and infilling of worst ruts.

Quinnell, H., 1998, Prehistoric Pottery Survey, dbid:1428 (Report - Survey). SDV139039.

20 sherds of early Iron Age pot recovered during excavation. Other pottery Medieval, non-ceramics pound stone whorl, quern and slag. Now in Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM), Exeter.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1999, SMC Letter (Correspondence). SDV274577.

(19/07/1999) Consent granted, subject to conditions, for works concerning the archaeological research excavation of a hut circle to examine the impact of bracken on sensitive archaeological deposits.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1016691 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument, which falls into two areas of protection, includes part of the prehistoric coaxial field system known as North Teign, two broadly contemporary settlements, parts of which continued in use into the Iron Age, at least four historic structures, a tor cairn, pillow mound, prospecting pits and trench and a length of the Southill leat. The coaxial field system includes a large number of fields arranged on a single prevailing axis, subdivided by transverse boundaries. Within the area defined by the fields there are two settlements. The largest of these survives as a scatter of at least 41 stone hut circles extending around the northern and eastern slopes below Kestor. The stone hut circles survive as walls surrounding circular or oval areas with internal diameters ranging from 3.5 metres to 10.4 metres with the average being 6.87 metres. Some of the huts in this settlement are amongst the most visually impressive on Dartmoor with over 20 having walls standing above 1 metres high. Twenty one of the huts have visible doorways, one has a porch, one has a partition and another a cupboard. Four of the huts were excavated between 1951 and 1952 by Lady Fox and in the large one within Roundy Pound, evidence of iron smelting was recovered. It is generally accepted that this activity dated to the Iron Age, although the situation is somewhat confused by evidence for reoccupation of the hut during the medieval period. The second settlement lies south of Kestor and survives as a group of four stone hut circles associated with at least five small rectangular fields which themselves form part of the coaxial field system. On the western side of Kestor and just outside the field system is a tor cairn which survives as a 10 metres long and 7 metres wide semi circular band of relatively small stones. The remaining archaeological structures and features are of historic date and include a solitary pillow mound, demonstrating limited interest in rabbit husbandry at some time and four structures which probably represent shelters and animal pounds associated with grazing activities in this area. The final archaeological remains are connected with industrial activity and include a length of the Southill leat which carried water to a mill at Southill and the Teigncombe tinworks. This 8 kilometre long leat is known to have functioned since at least the end of the 15th century and represents the earliest documented long leat on the moor. Prospecting activity linked with the Teigncombe tinworks survives within the monument and includes at least four large prospecting pits and a substantial trench.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5891 - QUERN (Early Bronze Age to Late Medieval - 2200 BC to 1539 AD?)
• FDV5890 - SPINDLE WHORL (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 1000 BC? to 301 BC)
• FDV5888 - SHERD (Early Iron Age - 700 BC to 301 BC)
• FDV5889 - SHERD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project
• EDV6082 - Excavation at Batworthy, Dartmoor
• EDV6198 - Geophysical Survey on Shovel Down and Kes Tor
• EDV8043 - Excavation on Shovel Down and Kes Tor (2003)
• EDV8133 - Excavations along cable trench within field system at Kestor

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