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Summary

Hut circle settlement of 450 metres by up to 150 metres on Shovel Down within an early field system with at least seven hut circles and six or seven enclosures of varying sizes

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017874: The North Teign coaxial field system (western part) and associated later remains at Shovel Down, Stonetor Hill and Long Ridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68NE41
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443601
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/163
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/163/4
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/163/7
• Old SAM County Ref: 144
• Old SAM Ref: 28663

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

'Hut Circles' shown on 19th century map.

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

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2082, 3285-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDV221887.

Ordnance Survey, 1963-1996, 1963-1996 National Grid OS Metric (Cartographic). SDV350058.

(SX 658859) Hut Circles (NR) shown on OS 6" 1963 map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1974, SX68NE41 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV220097.

(16/07/1974) Within an area of two hectares are two single-walled and three double-walled hut circles from 5.0m to 8.0m internal diameter and with walling averaging 0.5m high. Where visible the entrances are in the SE. The huts are either near or integrated within a field wall or the corner of a field. Each appears to have its own plot and the group seems to form a unit.
Surveyed at 1:2500, and centred at SX 65738595.

National Monument Record, 1977, NMR SX6586, 3/50-51 (Aerial Photograph). SDV220197.

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

This early settlement has apparently been incorporated into the extensive system of prehistoric land division lying to the west of Scorhill reave.

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

Study of the Royal Air Force and National Monuments Record aerial photographs identified remains of a bronze age settlement on Shovel Down associated with stone circle, cairns and stone rows.
At least two huts recorded; one hut circle is visible incorporated into a reave or bank: two other hut circles are visible, one incorporated into, the other attached to, reaves.
Series of fields noted with incorporated hut circles (SX68NE/38) and apparently joining the reave system of Shovel Down (recorded on map overlay).

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

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 1439547, 143953-143957 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(1997) [MPP 1439547] Irregular aggregate field system forming part of a stone hut circle settlement on east side of Shovel Down. An irregular aggregate field system including at least four fields and four hut circles. The field system appears to be linked to the nearby co-axial one.
[MPP 143954] Hut circle at SX65798595. Measures 5m by 3m by 0.4m high. Wall 1.7m wide. Oriented east-north-east by west-south-west and built into corner of field.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 175,230, Map 36, Figure 36.4 (Monograph). SDV219155.

'Shovel Down Central settlements' include a number of fields almost reaching the summit of the Down which seem to form three independent groups joined by a sinuous upper bank. The eastern group 'A' at SX658859 of 1.1 hectares conatins four huts occupying four or five small fields. The triangular enclosure 'B' at SX657858 has a single hut and the large rectangular field. Settlement 'C' at SX 655857 of 1.2 hectares has the foundations of two large hut circles.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Settlement shown on survey.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

Settlement and Field System' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2024, National Heritage List for England, 1017874 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365835.

The monument, which falls into 11 areas, includes part of the prehistoric coaxial field system known as North Teign, ten broadly contemporary settlements, two agglomerated enclosures, an irregular aggregate field system, nine funerary cairns, six stone alignments, a standing stone and stone circle.

ADAS RECORD SHEET, unknown, Settlement on Shovel Down (Report - Survey). SDV220100.

West of the rows is a pre-reave settlement and field system around SX659860.
Des=adas record sheet/in smr. Vis=13/2/1995 (adas) stable; people erosion (adas). Vis=13/2/1995 (adas) stable. Possible people erosion (adas).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6198 - Geophysical Survey on Shovel Down and Kes Tor

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