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Summary

Impressive disturbed turf-covered cairn on the summit area of Royal Hill measuring 16.4m (N-S) by 15.6m (E-W) with a maximum height of 1.8m. The flattish top has an off-centre pit 4.5m by 2.4m and 0.8m deep with some upcast material dumped around the top edge. At SX 61777195 a low, circular, turf covered cairn is exposed in a shallow peat tye. It is 4.0m in diameter, 0.3m high, and composed of well compacted small stones. A few of these are edge set but there is not evidence of a proper kerb. It is possible a 19th century clearance mound, but if so is completely isolated, and it is more likely to be a prehistoric cairn, perhaps a satelite to the large one 40m to the NW.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002590: Cairn S of Royal Hill

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SW40
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443349
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/63
• Old SAM County Ref: 727
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67SW40

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

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

'Tumulus' shown on 19th century map.

Burnard, R., 1890, Notes on Dartmoor Kistvaens, 206 (Article in Serial). SDV265355.

A fine cairn which appears to have been opened from the top. It should be reopened from the circumference on ground level.

Ordnance Survey, 1906, 126NW (Cartographic). SDV156247.

Shown on early 20th century map.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs, 2149 3431 (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Photograph taken on 11th July 1947.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX67SW40 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV265085.

A tumulus, 48ft diameter and 5ft 6 ins high (Worth, R. H., 08/12/1948).
(15/06/1950) Cairn south of Royal Hill, on summit of 21 metres diameter by maximum height of 1.8 metres. Cairn with large hollow in centre, turf covered.
(12/08/1977) A cairn situated on the flat crest of the south-east spur of Royal Hill at 395.0m OD being a mound of partly-turf-covered large stones with a depression in the centre. Its diameter is 16.0m and its maximum height 1.6m.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Cocks, J. V. S., 1971-1973, The Stannary Bounds of Plympton and Tavistock, 77 (Article in Serial). SDV265089.

Broken barrows. This tumulus was on the boundary of the Plympton stannary in 17th century.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 153 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Site visited on 19th July 1974. Cairn with large hollow towards centre, south-east side. On Royal Hill, diameter 18.0 metres, height 1.5 metres.

Greeves, T., 1982, Cairn on Royal Hill (Worksheet). SDV265088.

Site visited on 29th June 1982. Cairn undisturbed.
Site visited on 23rd August 1982. Cairn has suffered some damage. A pit measuring 1 metre deep and 1 metre wide dug into it. Only loose stone visible in sides of pit. Also in three other places around its lip the cairn has been damaged. Stones replaced as far as possible.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV342809.

Site visited on 6th October 1982.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor (Monograph). SDV249702.

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

Visible on aerial photograph and recorded.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Site visited on 31st July 1986.

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

(10/03/1989?) SX 61817194. This impressive disturbed turf-covered cairn on the summit area of Royal Hill at 394m OD.
It measures 16.4m (N-S) by 15.6m (E-W) with a maximum height of 1.8m. The flattish top has an off-centre pit 4.5m by 2.4m and 0.8m deep with some upcast material dumped around the top edge.
Damage to the perimeter, reported in 1982 (Greeves, 1982), has mostly been reinstated. The cairn is variously named Broken Barrow, Broken Barrows (Hemery, 1983) and Brokenborough (Dunch of Cornwall map 1818).
At SX 61777195 a low, circular, turf covered cairn is exposed in a shallow peat tye. It is 4.0m in diameter, 0.3m high, and composed of well compacted small stones. A few of these are edge set but there is not evidence of a proper kerb. It is possible a 19th century clearance mound, but if so is completely isolated, and it is more likely to be a prehistoric cairn, perhaps a satelite to the large one 40m to the NW.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 230-234, Map 65, Figure 65.4 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Royal Hill E. '1' cairn at SX61817194 of 15.5 metres diameter by 2.0 metres high is a mass of small stones prominent on the highest point of the south-eastern projection of the hill with a satellite cairn 30 metres to the west.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

'Cairn' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1002590 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes a round cairn situated on the summit of a south eastern projection of Royal Hill overlooking the valley of the Strane River. The cairn survives as a circular stony mound measuring up to 16 metres in diameter and 0.2 metres high. There is a hollow in the mound indicating early partial excavation or robbing. There is a slight depression to the east indicating a mainly buried outer surrounding ditch. The cairn is variously known as ‘Broken Barrow’ or ‘Brokenborough’ and was one of the tin bounds for the Stannary of Plympton in the 17th century.

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

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