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Summary

Approximately 120ha of poorly-defined parallel reave system on the open moorland of Thornworthy Down and the S half of Chagford Common. This is one of three such systems (see also SX 68 NW 24 and SX 68 NE 67) that are visible on the on the unenclosed land between the South and North Teign Rivers.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and stone walls of Bronze Age settlement, field system and parallel reave system on Thornworthy Down
• Scheduled Monument 1017483: Two stone hut circles and part of a coaxial field system at Frenchbeer Rock
• Scheduled Monument 1016691: Coaxial field system and prehistoric settlements at Kestor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68NE146
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 901946
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/7

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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). SDV295065.

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1952 /1953, Prehistoric Settlements on Dartmoor and the Cornish Moors, 73 (Article in Serial). SDV337080.

Fox, A., 1954, Celtic Fields and Farms on Dartmoor in Light of Recent Excavations at Kestor, 87 (Article in Serial). SDV231175.

A system of fields believed by Fox to be related to three hut circles. The fields are heavily lynchetted. A prehistoric system incorporated in later system.

West Air Photography, 1975, BT1710, 3,5,6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274674.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SX68NE56 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV274675.

(SX664850 to SX663849) Stone Row. (1971)
This recent publication entry (not on Ordnance Survey 25 inch 1904 or 6 inch 1961 maps) is not a stone row but refers to some large stones set at irregular intervals along the course of a prominent field bank of a field system oriented on Thornworthy Tor (SX68NE146). (1978)

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

This is part of the parallel reave system on Kestor north of this area. They form a series of rectangular fields with two associated hut circles. Visible on Royal Air Force 1947 aerial photographs.

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

Obscure rectilinear field system on all sides of Thornworthy Tor. Extends across Chagford Common to Kes Tor Rock and joins the concentration to the north indicated on the map. Continues to map square SX6684. Not recorded by the Ordnance Survey.
A field system is visible on the south-eastern part of Thornworthy Down, consisting of banks or reaves without any obvious alignment. It is partly flooded by Thornworthy Reservoir.

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

(05/02/1992) Centred SX 667853. Approximately 120ha of poorly-defined parallel reave system on the open moorland of Thornworthy Down and the S half of Chagford Common. This is one of three such systems (see also SX 68 NW 24 and SX 68 NE 67) that are visible on the on the unenclosed land between the South and North Teign Rivers (Fleming 1988 Fig 29). All the unenclosed land between these rivers has been surveyed at 1:2500 (see RCHME Shovel Down, Castor and Thornworthy Down surveys).
The extent of this system is difficult to determine. The sole visible boundary is a long reave on the N margin that runs from the enclosed land on the E side of the common towards the sharp wall corner NW of Thornworthy Tor (Fleming's 'Teign Divider'). From this point the boundary is assumed to run SW on the course now occupied by the W wall of Thornworthy Down. Unfortunately there is no trace of this often substantial reave in the foundations of the wall. The S boundary is probably Fleming's 'Hurston Ridge Main' reave (1988 Fig 29) (1) which runs SSW-NNE along the watershed between the South Teign and the North Walla Brook. Between this reave and the surveyed area are several poorly preserved reaves in Yardworthy Newtake (SX 68 SE 132) and the fossilised pattern of reaves in the enclosed land leading down to the left bank of the South Teign River. The W end of the surveyed system is lost in Fernworthy Forest while the E extent of this system is obscure by cultivated land. The adjoining Castor system can be traced for approximately 500m through the enclosed land to the E by the fossilisation of the reaves in the modern field pattern. It is not possible to do this for the Thornworthy Down system as the fields W of Frenchbeer Farm appear to have ignored any pre-existing boundaries in this area. The surveyed area is scantily preserved but even taking into account the amount of later disturbance it seems not to have been as well developed as its northern neighbours. The surviving elements do however display two similarities with the Castor and Shovel Down systems. The major axis is roughly NE-SW and the pattern of dominant transverse reaves that serve to break up the longer axial reaves is also present.
There are three settlements (SX 68 NE 36 and 43 and SX 68 SE 84, 85, 94, 98 and 99) containing a maximum of 14 huts within the surveyed area. The organisation of these features does not suggest that they were in existence before the reaves were established.
Perhaps the most interesting feature is the double banked droveway between SX 66928605 and SX 66778588 which leads 240m SW from the W edge of the enclosed land. This appears to be contemporary with the system and was blocked at its SW end in prehistory.
During the medieval and later periods cultivation expanded to cover pat of the area covered by this reave system. The subsequent contraction has left a group of redundant field boundaries and several areas of ridge and furrow (SX 68 NE 162) overlying and partially reusing the reaves. [901946 / SX68SE146]

Fleming, A., 1988, The Dartmoor Reaves: Investigating Prehistoric Land Divisions, Fig 29 (Monograph). SDV229071.

Gibson, A., 1990, Excavations at Kestor Field Systems Dartmoor July 1989, 14-16 (Report - Excavation). SDV363148.

The excavation of a cable trench in 1989 along the course of the road to lay underground electricity cables to the houses at Batworthy investigated the field walls at six points (trenches 1-6). The cable trench was plotted through an area of previous disturbance which created difficulties with the interpretation of the buried features, sedimentation and integrity of buried deposits (few finds were recovered). Pollen analysis allotted broad chronological phases to all basal soils which are assumed to pre-date the bank construction. Author theorises the field banks were topped with hedges, rendering the allotted spaces stock-proof.
The best preserved bank was in trench 1 (at approximately SX 6634 8675) where a double orthostatic wall with stone and earth in-fill was clearly visible and had survived relatively undamaged. Pollen profiles appear to match those from the Bronze Age period; these banks appear to be contemporary with the reaves and Bronze Age enclosures on Dartmoor.
Pollen samples from Trenches 2, 5 and 6 however indicate possible later dates (late Iron Age/Post Roman) (dominant heather and grass species, along with some beech, hornbeam and walnut). The presence of wheat/oat and rye may be comparable to an arable phase of c. AD 1000 seen at Holne Moor (Maguire et al., 1983), which could support Fox's theory of post Roman refurbishment or modification of the field system (Fox, 1954). Buried soils from these trenches were disturbed or totally unstratified; may be medieval deposits disturbed by the road construction.
None of the trenches provided unequivocal evidence of Iron Age activity in the area.

Gibson, A., 1990, Photographs from 1989 Kestor excavation (Ground Photograph). SDV363149.

Series of slides from the excavation in July 1989 of the cable trench.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 176-7 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Reave system on Thornworthy Tor that extends outwards from the settlement within the rectangular fields (PRN 13013) outwards towards systems on Shovel Down (PRN 54537) and Middle Tor (PRN 48014). Other details: Map 36, 5.

Smith, N., 1992, Teigncombe Plantation Archaeological Condition Survey (Forestry Commission Woodlands) (Report - Survey). SDV360429.

Three south-west by north-east aligned banks noted within the plantation that appear to be a continuation of the reave system on Chagford Common. Overgrown with vegetation; recommended to leave banks unplanted and avoid with forestry machinery.
Map object based on this source.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, SD-KT 2, 7 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(06/01/2019) Reave system seen at SX 6644 6870. Condition assessed by volunteer recorders as bad; vegetation encroachment (mainly gorse) is seriously impacting the site. There are also rowan and holly saplings growing on site.
Also recorded at SX 6616 8701. Condition as above; north-eastern reave at this location is more gorse-covered than the south-western side.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photographs taken during January 2019 visit.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7399 - Condition survey of Teigncombe Plantation
• EDV7423 - Archaeological survey of woodlands near Teigncombe
• EDV8133 - Excavations along cable trench within field system at Kestor
• EDV8653 - Teigncombe Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8675 - Excavations at Teigncombe Round House, Kestor
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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