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Summary

The hut circle has an internal diameter of 7m; the surrounding wall appears rebuilt, possibly in comparatively recent times in a drystone wall tradition with random-coursed small and medium moorstones together with some large, flat slabs around the whole NW to SE arcs. A number of field walls are associated with the hut circle, possible in part forming two small fields or enclosures, along with a small structure; possible hut circle but too little remains to be certain.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Central western section of the Bronze Age Venford Reave at Swincombe, with a number of attached hut circle settlements and enclosures, as well as an extensive Bronze Age field system, a cairn and a post-Medieval blowing house on Down Ridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SW46
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443367
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/73
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67SW46

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 02/07/1964, F61 58 6399, 032-033 (Aerial Photograph). SDV262020.

Burnard, R., 1888 - 1889, On the Track of the 'Old Men', Dartmoor, 111-112 (Article in Serial). SDV154694.

185-275 metres north of Deep Swincombe Blowing House. Diameter 7.3 metres, walls 1.3 metres high. Similar to hut circle above Week Ford (SX67SE/99).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1951/1980, SX67SW46 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV263132.

(23/11/1951) Circle clearly defined.
Not visible on 1964 aerial photographs (OS, 1976).
(11/02/1980) On a north-west slope at 357m. OD. is a hut circle which appears to have been rebuilt (see ground photograph). It has a level interior and an internal diameter of 6.3m. and was probably of Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19). The enhanced rubble walling measures 1.0m. thick and 1.0m. high but no original entrance is visible.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:2500 for AO Records.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6472, SX6472/3/73 (Aerial Photograph). SDV245616.

Robinson, R., 1982, Hut Circle, 10 (Personal Comment). SDV263135.

Possibly re-used by tinners.

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

Visible and recorded. There is a short stretch of wall leading from this hut circle which joins the Venford Reave at SX64357207.

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

(25/07/1988) Hut circle and associated field walls situated on sloping ground 150m E of Deep Swincombe, apparently cleared from an area of medium clitter which still surrounds the area. Hut circle is at SX 6429 7206.
The hut circle has an internal diameter of 7m; the surrounding wall appears rebuilt, possibly in comparatively recent times in a drystone wall tradition with random-coursed small and medium moorstones together with some large, flat slabs around the whole NW to SE arcs. Here the wall is 0.8-1.7m wide and up to 0.75m high. The coursing is particularly evident on the inside. The remainder of the circuit is less upstanding; a low rubble wall 1.8m wide and up to 0.5m high with some large edging stones still in position. The SW section is in a poor state of preservation. An upright stone "post" 0.85m high can be seen in the SW; it is set transversely to the wall line and may indicate the position of an entrance.
The interior of the hut circle contains some tumbled stone. It is cut into the slope c. 0.2m on the E and SE.
A number of field walls are associated with the hut circle, possible in part forming two small fields or enclosures to the NW; one wall joins the hut circle at the entrance on the W and another runs SE to join the projected line of the "Venford Reave" (SX 67 SE 96) at SX 6436 7204; it is perhaps an adapted parallel reave.
50m SW of the hut circle is another ruined wall, aligned NW to SE like the others. It too possibly originated as a parallel reave. The remaining 36m stretch has a small structure attached to its E side at SX 6427 7202. The structure is approximately circular, with an internal diameter of 2.7m, defined by low, turf-covered walls of small stone rubble 1m wide and 0.2m high. It is possibly a hut circle but too little remains to be certain.
Another length of ruined walling runs through thick clitter on the E side of Deep Swincombe from SX 6418 7210 to SX 6421 7206. In common with all walling previously described, it consists of piled medium-large stones, 0.7-1.5m wide and 0.3-0.7m high. It too is aligned NW-SE.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 207-208, Map 62, Figure 62.2 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Small prehistoric settlement survives as a few low banks on the north side of the field wall to the east of Deep Swincombe. Lines of slabs based on the boundary reave associated with partly built Hut '1' of 7 metres diameter. A rubble bank at Hut '2' was probably a small ancillary building.
Hut Circle '1'; partly built hut has a diameter of 7 metres and is associated with some lines of slabs on the boundary reave.
Hut Circle '2' in the south-west corner of settlement 'is probably a small ancillary building.

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

Hut circle shown on survey.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Hut circle clearly visible.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Hut circle depicted.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8146 - Royal Commission Survey at Down Ridge and Swincombe
• EDV8632 - Sherberton Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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