See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Hut circle of 6.0 metres diameter with walls 1.4 metres wide by 0.9 metres high and an entrance to the south-east within dispersed settlement to the west of Lowton Brook in Fernworthy Forest. A curving stony bank lies to the south and west and may represent the remains of an enclosure

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: 144122
• National Monuments Record: SX68SE3
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443781
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/72
• Old SAM Ref: 28671
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68SE3

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

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

'Hut Circle' shown on 19th century map.

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

A hut circle 6.4m in diameter, cut into an east slope. The walling is 1.4m thick and up to 0.9m high. The National Grid reference given is SX 66398295.

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

The report gives the grid reference of hut circle 10B at West Lowton as SX66348287. However, the sketch plan and description given in the field report are for another hut circle at SX66348307.

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

Not visible on 1946 RAF aerial photo.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 144122 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visit 30th May 1997. Hut circle. Diameter 6.0 metres. Double orthostat wall 1.4 metres wide, 0.9 metres high. Internal area 28.26 square metres. The dorrway faces 130 degrees (south-east) and is lined on the north-east side. Another slab within the passage may be a fallen jamb. A curving stony bank lies to the south and west and may represent the remains of an enclosure

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.

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

(03/06/1995) SX 66348288. A hut circle and section of contemporary field boundary lie on the crest of the ridge overlooking the left bank of the Lowton Brook within Fernworthy Forest. both features were overplanted until recently when the area was clear felled. The hut is now marked by a Forestry Commission antiquity post.
Its interior is slightly ovoid measuring 5.6m N to S by 4.1m with walls consisting of a single ring of upright slabs and boulders 0.7m high and robbed on the W. A gap in the SW may indicate the site of an entrance. The boundary, consisting of a very disturbed stoney bank 1.2m wide and 0.3m high runs in a NW to SE line between SX 66308289 and SX 66388283.

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

Hut circle shown on survey.

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

Hut circle visible.

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

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

Hut circle marked.

Newman, P., 2013, The Archaeology of Fernworthy Forest, Dartmoor, Devon, 28, Fig. 20 (Report - Survey). SDV351784.

Part of Lowton West settlement. The southermost and highest hut situated in an almost level position on the summit of the ridge and built into the north side of a rectangular enclosure. Some of the slabs that line the wall interior are still in situ but several within the north-east arc have collapsed outwards. Disturbed areas, where stone has been robbed, survive as a circular earthwork surrounding the level floor. The interior diameter of the hut was approximately 6.5 metres. The doorway, on the south-east side, has one in situ and one leaning door lining.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Unknown, SX68SE3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV260139.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6203 - Archaeological Survey of Fernworthy Forest
• EDV7389 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1996
• EDV7410 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1992
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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