See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Remains of hut circle of 4.4 metres diameter with walls 1.5 metres wide by 0.5 metres high forming part of unenclosed settlement to the north of Hemstone Rocks. Located in forest clearing on north side of trackway.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017985: Unenclosed stone hut circle settlement on Tom's Hill, 870m north west of Sandeman Bridge

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: 144133
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SW/5/2
• Old SAM County Ref: 961
• Old SAM Ref: 28673
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX68SW25

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, 1950/1951, SX68SW25 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV245127.

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

Fernworthy Plantation. Toms Hill 4E. Hut circle. 4.8 metres diameter, thickness of wall 1.4 metres. East side of hut has been damaged by forest ride. Not investigated. Has been planted over.
February 1976. 8 posts ringing clearance zone. All agreements carried out.
Not identified in 1955 Spooner and Dixon report.

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

All agreements carried out.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 144133 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visit SX64958411. Hut circle forming part of unenclosed settlement. Diameter 4.4 metres. Single and double orthostate and earthwork wall, 1.5 metres wide, 0.55 metres high. Internal area 15.19 square metres. Covered in grass and several rotted tree stumps.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 157, Map 35, Site 6 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Hut circle at 'Fernworthy West' settlement.

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

Visited on 2nd August 1995. Hut circle at SX64948411 of 4.9 metres diameter with walls 1.0 metres wide by 0.5 metres high. Disturbed hut with some internal facing surviving.

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

Fernworthy. Toms Hill. Five hut circles 1-4B, 6B. Site visit 27th Septebmer 1996. Hut circles within a large clearing on the north side of the track. All the sites are well marked but the marker posts are loose and need consolidating. The hut circles are difficult to identify, however, as they are covered in long grass and gorse is widespread throughout the clearance area and may need to be removed.

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

Hut circle shown on survey.

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

Hut circle visible in forest clearing.

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

Hut circle visible.

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

Newman, P., 2013, The Archaeology of Fernworthy Forest, Dartmoor, Devon, 36, Fig. 31 (Report - Survey). SDV351784.

Earthwork circle, 6.3 metres diameter.

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

Hut circle marked.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1017985 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument includes six stone hut circles situated on a gentle east facing slope overlooking the valley of the South Teign River. The hut circles survive as banks each surrounding an internal circular area which varies from 8 to 28.26 square metres. The height of the surrounding walls vary between 0.3 metres and 0.6 metres. Two of the huts have visible doorways and the walls are of orthostatic or rubble bank construction.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6216 - Condition Surveys of Ancient Monuments on Forestry Commission Land
• 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.