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Summary

Four well preserved hut circles, a possible fifth and a small rectangular structure lie within an irregular cluster of fields on the flat crest of shovel down. The area is under low heather and grass with a large expanse of former peat cuttings to the sw and n. Summary from record MDV28157:
Series of fields with incorporated hut circles and apparently joining the reave system of Shovel Down.

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
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/163
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/163/7
• Old SAM County Ref: 144
• Old SAM Ref: 28663
• Pastscape: 443601

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

ADAS, Untitled Source (Report - Survey). SDV220091.

Vis=13/2/1995 (adas) stable. Possible people erosion (adas).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV220097.

Osa=sx68ne41/plan. 16/7/1974 (os) within an area of 2ha are 2 single-walled and 3 double- walled hut circles from 5m to 8m internal diameter and with walling averaging 0.5m high. Where visible the entrances are in the south east. 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 (os).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV220100.

Des=adas record sheet/in smr.

Fleming, A., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV139025.

Shown on os 6" 1963 map. West of the rows (alignments sx68ne/43, 46, 110, 59) is a pre-reave settlement and field system around sx659860. This early settlement has apparently been incorporated into the extensive system of prehistoric land division lying to the west of scorhill reave (fleming).

ADAS, Untitled Source (Report - Survey). SDV274266.

Vis=13/2/1995 (adas) stable; people erosion (adas).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV274272.

Des=adas record sheet/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV274275.

Butler, j. /dartmoor atlas of antiquities/2(1991)179;fig 36.7.

Royal Air Force, 13/04/1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, 1362-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

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

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 (Article in Serial). SDV227880.

Fleming, a. /pps/41(1983)195-241.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Interpretation). 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).

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 143953-143957, 1997 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Hut circle at SX65798595.

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

National Monuments Record, 2010, Untitled Source (National Monuments Record Database). SDV214864.

The huts are all slightly ovoid with internal diams ranging from 4.4m to 7.1m. Two, 2 + 4, possess entrances in their se quadrants. The possible hut 5 is situated on a slight slope remains intact, the arc of which suggests that it either formed a large hut or small pound. The rectangular feature 6 lies in a corner of one of the fields. There is no trace of any facing stones in its walls; neither entrance nor internal features are visible. Both huts and fields lie within the shovel down parallel reave system. The irregular field plan is suggestive of an earlier origin to that of the reave system. Occupation apparently continued into the reave period as demonstrated by the long straight walls linking this settlement to the larger system. A cairn lies outside the area of fields slightly s of the main cluster (probert).

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

National Monument Record, 2018, Pastscape (Website). SDV360651.

Vis=16/8/1991 (rchme) centred sx65808595. Four well preserved hut circles, a possible fifth and a small rectangular structure lie within an irregular cluster of fields on the flat crest of shovel down. The area is under low heather and grass with a large expanse of former peat cuttings to the sw and n.

Des=probert, s. A. J. /(16/8/1991)/rchme field investigation. 16/8/1991 (rchme). Both huts and fields lie within the shovel down parallel reave system. The irregular field plan is suggestive of an earlier origin to that of the reave system. Occupation apparently continued into the reave period as demonstrated by the long straight walls linking this settlement to the larger system. A cairn lies outside the area of fields slightly s of the main cluster (probert).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6198 - Geophysical Survey on Shovel Down and Kes Tor

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