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Summary

An un-nucleated settlement comprising thirteen identifiable hut circles, with an associated coaxial field system, extending for 200 metres along the eastern side of Buttern Hill. The northernmost group of four huts is on enclosed moorland, the remainder are scattered over open moorland. Seven huts are of double slab wall construction, four are single walled, and two remain as level platforms with fragmentary walling. Internal diameters are between 8.5 metres and 10.5 metres and heights from 0.4 metres to 1.0 metre. Contemporary field walling up to 0.5 metres high encloses approximately twenty-five hectares of hill-slope, it has been severely denuded by modern stone clearance.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021215: Part of a coaxial field system, prehistoric settlements and cairns on Buttern Hill
• SHINE: Remains of a coaxial field system, prehistoric settlements and cairns on Buttern Hill, surviving as earthworks and rubble banks and a length of the Bradford Leat

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68NE21
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443541
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/18
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/49
• Old SAM County Ref: 881A
• Old SAM Ref: 34479
• Old SAM Ref: 34482

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• UNENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map, 89NE (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Hut circles on Buttern Hill. One of 11. OS 6 inch LXXXIX NE.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2082, 4474-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV221887.

(Centred SX 655891) Hut circles (NR).
(SX 65458885) Hut circle (NR).
(SX 65858888) Hut circle (NR).
(SX 65558863) Hut circle (NR).
(SX 65618849) Hut circle (NR).
(SX 65518837) Hut circle (NR).
(SX 65838834) Hut circle (NR).
Visible on APs.

Ancient Monuments, 1971, Schedule note (Schedule Document). SDV275357.

(02/03/1971) SX 6586 8888 Very well preserved hut circle. Upright facing stones. Entrance on south-east side. Associated with rectangular field banks.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1974, SX68NE21 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV275364.

(30/07/1974) Area centred SX 65648877. An un-nucleated settlement comprising thirteen identifiable hut circles, with an associated field system, extending for 200.0 m along the E side of Buttern Hill, between 1100 and 1300 ft OD. The northernmost group of four huts is on enclosed moorland, the remainder are scattered over open moorland.
Seven huts are of double slab wall construction, four are single walled, and two remain as level platforms with fragmentary walling. Internal diameters are between 8.5 m and 10.5 m and heights from 0.4 m to 1.0 m. Entrances, where discernible, occur on the S and SE sides. The condition of the huts is generally good; a particularly outstanding example is at SX 65858888. Huts at SX 65588866 and SX 65718848 were located during field investigation.
Contemporary field walling up to 0.5 m high encloses approximately twenty-five hectares of hill-slope, it has been severely denuded by modern stone clearance.
Published 1:2500 survey revised.

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

Visible with another possible hut circle just north of it at SX 65858890 on 1947 RAF aerial photograph.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 190-192, 230, Map 38, Sites 1-7 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Buttern Hill settlement at SX654891 with 24 hut circles. Extensive settlement within a coaxial field system to the west and north of Buttern Hill with many hut circles and enclosures.

Ancient Monuments, 2003/2004, Scheduling amendment (Schedule Document). SDV275366.

(22/12/2003) Scheduling amendment. SX 65838834. Stone hut circle, surviving as a circular double orthostatic wall standing up to 1.5 metres high. Scheduled.
SX 65738851. Stone hut circle and part of an associated field system. The field system survives as rubble banks with some protruding orthostats and includes at least two distinct fields. The hut circle stands within the western field and comprises a circular double orthostatic wall up to 0.95 metre high. Scheduled.
SX 65838880. Two hut circles and part of the associated coaxial field system. There are at least three parallel reaves and a number of smaller fields and enclosures. The hut circles, surviving as circular orthostatic walls, lie within the field system. Scheduled.
SX 65238849; SX 65528834. Two cairns on Buttern Hill. The westernmost cairn measures 4 metres in diameter, while the larger cairn to the east measures 14 metres by 5.8 metres and stands up to 0.9 metres high. Two large fallen slabs at the southern end may represent the remains of a chamber. Scheduled.
(21/01/2004) Two stone hut circles and field system 590m south of 'Buttern' forming part of a coaxial field system on 'Buttern Hill'. At least two stone hut circles survive within the field system. The northern hut circle is 10.1m diameter denoted by a 2m wide double orthostatic wall standing up to 1.2m high with a south facing entrance protected by a crude straight porch. The southern stone hut circle is 4.4m diameter surviving as a 1.3m wide earthwork with occasional protruding orthostats up to 0.5m high.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1021215 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument includes part of a coaxial field system, associated prehistoric settlements and cairns situated on the east facing slope of Buttern Hill. Other archaeological remains of historic date, including a length of the Bradford Leat and an upright stone and earthwork, are also included within the monument. The coaxial fields form part of the Buttern Hill coaxial field system and survive as rubble banks which in places have been modified during the construction of later historic fields. There are at least eight parallel reaves within the monument, from which large numbers of other boundaries lead creating a number of smaller fields and enclosures. Within the field system there are at least 18 stone hut circles, many of which are clustered together to form small settlements. The stone hut circles survive as circular or oval rubble or orthostatic walls surrounding an internal area which varies between 8.5 square metres and 78.5 square metres. Eight of the stone hut circles have visible doorways, one has a porch and another has been the subject of a partial early excavation.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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