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Summary

Hut circle of 6.9 metres diameter with walls 1.5 metres wide by 0.9 metres high and a south facing entrance within dispersed settlement to the west of Lowton Brook in Fernworthy Forest

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017983: Dispersed stone hut circle settlement and associated fields 490m south east of Silk House

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: 144119
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/26
• Old SAM County Ref: 957I
• Old SAM Ref: 28671
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: 07/08/2013
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68SE46

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

One of the 'Hut Circles' shown on 19th century map.

Turner, J. R., 1976, Ancient Monuments on Forestry Commission Land. Fernworthy and Bellever (Report - non-specific). SDV351823.

Fernworthy, West Lowton, 9B.
Site visit 1976. Hut circle, 7.0 metres diameter on east facing slope. Stone walls 1.7 metres thick although part of the walls as fallen away on the east side. Entrance on southern side. Largest sone, 1.2 metres by 0.3 metres thick. 1 metre above the ground. Not investigated, has been planted over.
January 1976. Hut clear of trees and other debris. Eight posts ringing clearance zone, tall trees standing inside but clear of debris. Trees outside post ring are within falling distance of hut circle.
Included in 1955 Spooner and Dixon report (A) Region south of the Teign (Assacombe and Lowton), Site No. 8.

Dartmoor National Park Authority + Forestry Commission + Dartmoor Preservation Association, 1976, Conservation of Ancient Monuments. The Report of a Working Party, 2 (Report - non-specific). SDV248248.

Fernworthy West Lowton 9B

Turner, J., 1978, Report of Work Carried Out by the Forestry Commission since January 1976 (Report - non-specific). SDV351816.

No work has been carried out on this group of sites since January 1976.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV345762.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visit 11th July 1983.

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

Not visible on RAF 1946 aerial photo due to tree cover.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 144119 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visit 30th May 1997. Hut circle forming part of dispersed settlement. 6.9 metres diameter. Walls 1.5 metres wide, 0.95 metres high. The doorway faces south-south-east (155 degrees). The east-north-east side of the door is defined by an edge set orthostat, west-south-west by a flat stone, although a third slab resting against the first probably represents the original jamb.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 157, Map 35, Site 4 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Hut circle at 'Lowton Brook West' settlement.

Smith, N., 1992, Condition Survey of Identified Archaeology with Woodland Areas 1992 (Un-published). SDV351819.

Fernworthy, West Lowton, 9B. Site visit 27th May 1992. Hut circle located in a clearing, on east facing slope, just above the track. Site marked. Stability good. Vegetation managed and grazed. Recommendations: maintain current management regime.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

Visited on 3rd June 1995. Hut circle at SX66278311 of 7.3 metres dimeter with walls 1.2 metres wide by 1.0 metres high and an entrance to the south.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 1996, Condition Survey of Identified Archaeology within Woodland Areas 1996 (Un-published). SDV351820.

Fernworthy, West Lowton, 9B. Site visit 27th September 1996. Site marked by a single post. A fire to the north of the hut circle has left a deep hollow in the ground which needs to be filled in.

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

Site recorded.

Fugro-BKS, 2013, Fernworthy Forest LiDAR survey (Cartographic). SDV351778.

Hut circle visible. Map object based on this source.

Newman, P., 2013, Fernworthy Forest Sites Survey, 26, Figs 20-22 (Un-published). SDV351708.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Hut circle marked.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England, 1017983 (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

The monument, which falls into six areas, includes a dispersed stone hut circle settlement and associated fields situated on a north east facing slope overlooking the valley of the Lowton Brook. The settlement contains at least 12 stone hut circles together with a number of lengths of rubble walling forming part of a field system. The stone hut circles within the settlement all survive as banks each surrounding an internal circular area which varies from 14.51 to 55.39 square metres with the average being 30.56 square metres. The height of the surrounding walls vary between 0.6m and 1.3m, with the average being 0.91m. Four of the huts have visible doorways and the orthostatic, rubble bank and coursed walling building traditions are all represented.

Newman, P., 2013, The Archaeology of Fernworthy Forest, Dartmoor, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV351784.

The method of construction used for this hut is different to others in the settlement. Large slabs have been laid horizontally in two courses. Some remain giving the hut circle an internal diameter of 7.4 metres. Much of the stone has been removed, however, leaving a circular earth and stone bank. The door opening in the south-east corner has one lining stone remaining upright while the other has fallen and is now leaning against it.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Unknown, SX68SE46 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV276191.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6203 - Archaeological Survey of Fernworthy Forest
• EDV6216 - Condition Surveys of Ancient Monuments on Forestry Commission Land
• EDV7389 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1996
• EDV7410 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1992
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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