See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Cairn with an overall diameter of about 7.5m in diameter, and 0.6m high, with a flattish top. There are traces of an inner kerb 4.5m in diameter, and an outer one 5.7m across comprising boulders and slabs, the largest 1.5m long, 0.6m high, and 0.2m thick. The interior of the central cist is about 0.8m square with four stories up to 0.25m thick and 0.6m deep but the southern one overlaps the sides, is 1m long, and gives the cist its NW to SE alignment. This and the two end stones incline inwards; the northern one inclines slightly outwards. There is no cover stone. This site is on the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and stones of Bronze Age cairn with cist, one of several on Royal Hill

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Historical): NI Site
• National Monuments Record: SX67SW34
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443331
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/57
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67SW34

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• CIST (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Burnard, R., 1890, Notes on Dartmoor Kistvaens, 205-6 (Article in Serial). SDV265355.

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

Marked on map as 'Kistvaen'.

Worth, R. H., 1908, 27th Report of the Barrow Committee, 85, figure (Article in Serial). SDV265354.

Cist, where one side and both ends remain in place, the other side stone leans somewhat outwards. Surrounding the cist is an incomplete circle of stones, similar to the retaining circle of a barrow. Previously opened. Other details: 85 figure ?.

Worth, R. H., 1928, 47th Report of the Barrow Committee, 77 (Article in Serial). SDV345669.

Other details: plate 5 figure 2.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1980, SX67SW34 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV261769.

(29/08/1950) Royal Hill, central, Princetown. This disarrangement of one side stone in many cists may be due to the position of the levering bar used to remove the cover stone. No sign of cover stone here. Condition of whole feature is very good, and there is much evidence of the earthen barrow and retaining circle. Cairn measures 7.0 meters in diameter, and 0.4 meters high. The cist measures 0.6 meters deep by 0.85 meters by 0.7 meters.
(05/02/1980) SX 62077231. On the lower south-east slope of Royal Hill at 380m. OD is the remains of a cist within a cairn 6.4m. in diameter and 0.6m. high. An incomplete kerb around the cairn is 5.3m. in diameter externally, and 0.6m. high. The cist is central, aligned NW/SE and measures 0.95m. by 0.8m. and 0.6m. deep with no coverstone. Possible traces of a smaller second kerb 0.9m inside the former are visible on the NE though the condition of the cairn makes this uncertain.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:2500 for AO Records.

National Monuments Record, 1969, NMR SX6273, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV261771.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 152 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Cairn with the remains of retaining circle, enclosing cist placed south-east by north-west. Cairn is on the south-east side of Royal Hill, and measures 5.2 meters in diameter, and 0.5 meters in height. (Visited 19/7/1974) Other details: Lydford 89.

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

Cairn or barrow visible.

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

(06/02/1989) A cairn and cist on the SE side of Royal Hill, one of four cairns along the 380m contour and intervisible with two, (SX 67 SW 35 and 39).
The cairn has an overall diameter of about 7.5m in diameter, and 0.6m high, with a flattish top. There are traces of an inner kerb 4.5m in diameter, and an outer one 5.7m across comprising boulders and slabs, the largest 1.5m long, 0.6m high, and 0.2m thick.
The interior of the central cist is about 0.8m square with four stories up to 0.25m thick and 0.6m deep but the southern one overlaps the sides, is 1m long, and gives the cist its NW to SE alignment. This and the two end stones incline inwards; the northern one inclines slightly outwards. There is no cover stone.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 75, E21 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform cairn with a ring of kerb stones, measuring 5.0 meters in diameter internally, enclosing a flat-topped cairn 0.4 meters high with central cist. Other details: E21.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 230-234, Map 65, Figure 65.6 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Royal Hill E. '4' cairn at SX62087232 of 5.5 metres diameter by 0.6 metres high with an almost square cist at the centre. The capstone is propped against one of the stones of the retaining circle. Many of the stones of the retaining circle have been uprooted allowing the cairn material to spill downhill.

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.

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

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Cairn shown on survey.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Clearly visible on aerial photograph.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8628 - Tor Royal Farm Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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