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Summary

Hut Circle of 4.2 metres diameter with walls 0.6 metres wide by 0.9 metres high within settlement east of Lowton Brook. Disturbed and slightly ovoid in shape

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017990: Partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 780m south west of Metherall

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: 144187
• National Monuments Record: SX68SE44
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/178
• Old SAM County Ref: 610C
• Old SAM Ref: 28678
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68SE44C
• Pastscape: 443840

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 four 'Hut Circles' shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1952-1978, SX68SE44A (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV277863.

Site visit 2nd September 1952. Hut C. One of a group of four hut circles. Described as in bad condition, planted with trees.

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

Fernworthy Plantation. East Lowton 3A. Very ruined hut circle on a flat ridge on a west facing slope. 5.3 metres diameter. Comprises a single ring of large stones. Not investigated. Has been planted over.
January 1976. 13 posts ring clearance zone, enclosing sites 3A and 4A.
Included in Spooner and Dixon 1955 report (A) Region South of the Teign (Assacombe and Lowton) Site No. 18.

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 16th December 1983.

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

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

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 144187 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visit 30th April 1997. Hut circle forming part of a partially enclosed settlement. Situated in a small clearing. Diameter 4.6 metres. Single orthostat wall 0.9 metres wide, 0.65 metres high. Internal area 16.61 square metres. A cap fire has been built within the centre.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 156, Map 35, Site 2 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Hut circle shown at 'Lowton Brook East settlement'.

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

Fernworthy. East Lowton Group 3A/4A. Site visit 27th May 1992. Hut circles on a platform close to track. Site marked. Site managed. Also grazed by sheep. Stability good but evidence for a camp fire in 3A. Suggested that current management regime be maintained. Photo.

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 SX66598466 of 4.2 metres diameter with walls 0.6 metres wide by 0.9 metres high. Hut disturbed and slightly ovoid in shape.

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

Fernworthy. East Lowton Group 3A/4A. Site visit 27th September 1996. Only one post marks both sites. More posts are needed. The top soil within 3A is scorched as the result of a fire in it. Photo.

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

Hut circle shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2013, Fernworthy Forest Sites Survey (Un-published). SDV351708.

Newman, P., 2013, The Archaeology of Fernworthy Forest, Dartmoor, Devon, 34, Fig. 24 (Report - Survey). SDV351784.

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

Hut circle shown.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England, 1017990 (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

The monument includes an enclosure and four stone hut circles situated on a north facing slope overlooking Fernworthy Reservoir. The stone hut circles within the settlement all survive as banks each surrounding an internal circular area which varies from 16.6 to 73.86 square metres. The height of the surrounding walls vary between 0.65 and 1.45 metres. Two of the huts have visible doorways, one has a bench, all of them are of orthostatic construction and one has a length of boundary wall leading from it.

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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