See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Group of seven hut circles and associated fields on south Yartor Down, 450 metres north of the River Dart. Part of the Dartmeet parallel reave system, these enclosures have been overlaid by later boundaries and are associated with post-medieval pillow mounds.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Dartmeet Parallel Reave System. Earthworks of an extensive area of prehistoric remains including complex field system, numerous hut circles, enclosures and cairns, overlain by medieval remains including Vaghill Warren, farmsteads and a large field syste

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Historical): NI Site
• National Monuments Record: SX67SE49
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442998
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SE/94

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• UNENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2375-2376 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950 - 1951, SX67SE49 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV283272.

Group of six Bronze Age hut circles with associated fields. Annotated plan showing location may be stored at Devon County Council. Huts A,B,D and E are turf-covered.
A: Diameter 8.0 meters, height 0.2 - 0.4 meters.
B: Diameter 7.0 meters, height 0.2 meters.
C: Diameter 8.0 meters, height 0.4 meters.
D: Diameter 10.0 meters, height 0.2 meters.
E: Diameter 7.0 meters, height 0.2 meters.
F: Additional hut circle at SX67688563. Diameter 8.0 meters, height 0.2 meters.

Fox, A., 1954, Celtic Fields and Farms on Dartmoor in Light of Recent Excavations at Kestor, 99, 101, fig (Article in Serial). SDV231175.

Part of a Bronze Age/Iron Age settlement with associated fields. (See also SX 67 SE 50).

Ordnance Survey, 1972, OS/72/066, 018 (Aerial Photograph). SDV346967.

National Monuments Record, 1977, NMR SX6672/1, 80-84 (Aerial Photograph). SDV244382.

Beeson, M. M. R. + Masterman, M. C. H., 1979, An Archaeological Survey of Enclosed Land in Widecombe-In-The-Moor Parish, 1010 (Report - Survey). SDV337078.

Other details: Volume 5.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX67SE122 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV315817.

Exact location of huts and field walls shown on Ordnance Survey drawing (undated, approximately 1980?) in Sites and Monuments Record. The huts are interspersed with later pillow mounds.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX67SE49 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV347088.

(20/05/1980) Centred at SX 678726, around 338m. OD within the parallel reave system (SX 67 SE 94), and Medieval fields, are four Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19) and five Type 2 (SX 56 NE 71) hut circles. The level internal diameters vary from 2.5m. to 7.4m. with walling averaging 1.2m. wide and 0.6m. high. Several huts are linked to the prehistoric field walls but all are generally in poor condition. Where visible entrances range from east to south (See plan) The hut at SX 67887261 has double-faced orthostatic walling 2.0m. thick and 0.6m. high with an outer wall or annex on the SW.
There is no visible entrance to this compartment which is linked to the hut to the south.
Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.

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

Hut circles within field system of medieval date, set within parallel reave system (PRN 6030). Hut circles at SX67887259 attached to a boundary, SX67897261 within an enclosure attached to a boundary, SX67827260 attached to a boundary, SX67807265 attached to a boundary, SX67787265, SX67817267 attached hut circle with field boundary coming from it, SX67687262 where several field boundaries converge and SX67677271. Visible on 1977 National Monuments Record and 1946 Royal Air Force aerial photographs.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume One - The East, 122 (Monograph). SDV299725.

Prehistoric reaves and field walls crowd the summit and upper slopes of Vag Hill, in many places fossilised under rebuilt walls or banks with ditches of medieval and later reconstruction. Hut circles are spaced singly or in pairs evenly around the south and west hillside well above the River Dart, where the reave system appears to peter out. Each of the huts is surrounded by a few fields built onto the reaves. Around the huts and the Vag Hill warren buries is a regular strip field pattern which has become disturbed over time (for hut circle detail, see related records). Other details: Map 13, 1-5.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor, Site 43 (Un-published). SDV345444.

Part of Dartmeet coaxial field system (Northern Part) which would have been considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument but the project ended prematurely; sites are considered to have the same protection as those that were scheduled.

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

Map object based on this Source.

Newman, P., 2008, Dartmeet Premier Archaeological Landscape (PAL) Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV347061.

(14/03/2008) Seven dispersed hut circles and a series of small enclosures which are associated with the Dartmeet reave system on the moderate south slope of Vag Hill. The mostly regular enclosures define areas between the reaves which run approximately NE to SW across the slope. One large enclosure at SX 6790 7259 appears to have been added. This enclosure along with another to the west at SX 6746 7269 and other elements of the boundaries were refurbished during the medieval or post-medieval period when the walls were rebuilt as banks with ditches or with external stone facing. A number of post-med pillow mounds (SX 67 SE 89) are sited within the large enclosure and traces of cultivation ridges. Prehistoric walls, where not refurbished, survive as low turf and stone banks which lack an external ditch.
SX 6788 72604 . A hut circle which survives as a turf covered stony ring with a level interior and a possible entrance oriented south. It is situated against an enclosure wall and measures 7.3m diameter with walls of 2.0m thick and 0.6m high.
SX 6789 7261. This hut circle consists of very stony walls with elements of both internal and external wall facings surviving. Much of the stone is present although collapsed. This hut which is contained within a concentric enclosure 3.5m from away, has a level interior and has no definable entrance. It has an internal diameter (i.e. across the internal facings) of 8.5m, with walls 2.0m thick and 0.5m high.
SX 6782 7261.A hut circle comprising a very stony walls with some elements of both internal and external faces surviving. The interior is level with some tumble, and there is no definable entrance. Internal diameter 7.2m, walls 2.3m thick and 0.8m high. This hut, which is built into a slight hill slope, is set against a boundary wall of a small trapezoidal enclosure of 0.06ha.
SX 6780 7265. This hut circle is a mainly turf covered earthwork with some elements of internal and external rings of edge set orthostats surviving. The interior is level and there is no definable entrance. Internal diameter 6.0m, walls 1.4m thick and 0.6m high and is situated near a boundary wall.
SX 6778 7266. A hut circle which is incorporated in an enclosure wall survives as a stony ring. A possible entrance opening is oriented south with a single edge set stone acting as a door lining. The hut is cut into a slight slope and has a level interior. The diameter is 7.7m with walls 2m thick and up to 0.7m high.
SX 6768 7263. Visible as a stony turf ring built into a slight slope and located on the south exterior of a small enclosure, with the wall of a second enclosure meeting the hut on the south side. It has a level interior with no definable entrance with some vestiges of an internal facing surviving. This hut measures 6.1m internal diameter, with walls 1.6m wide and 0.6m high.
SX 6766 7272. Visible as a stony ring built into a slight slope with much stone visible and is near to a boundary wall. It has a level interior with some tumble and no visible entrance. This hut measures 7.9m diameter, walls 1.8m thick and 0.8m high.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Map object based on this Source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8296 - Dartmeet Premier Archaeological Landscape (PAL) Field Investigation Project

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