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Summary

Southern stone circle of the pair known collectively as The Grey Wethers. The diameter of this circle is 33 metres and includes 29 standing stones varying in height between 1.0 and 1.4 metres. Excavations carried out by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee towards the end of the 19th century revealed a layer of charcoal covering the original ground surface. A shallow trench visible leading through the southern circle may be the result of this excavation. The circle was restored at this time.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018707: Two stone circles known as The Grey Wethers, three round cairns, two ring cairns and an oval enclosure in Great Stannon Newtake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SW1
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443916
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SW/17
• Old SAM County Ref: 464
• Old SAM Ref: 28680

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• STONE CIRCLE (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Spence Bate, C., 1870-1871, On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor, 514 (Article in Serial). SDV277110.

When Spence Bate saw the circles in 1870 some stones had been recently removed apparently to repair the sides of the nearby leat.

Baring Gould, S., 1899, Sixth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 153 (Article in Serial). SDV344950.

Allcroft, A. H., 1922, Unknown (Article in Serial). SDV344949.

Other details: 173-342.

Worth, R. H., 1939, Two Stone Circles on Dartmoor, Swincombe Valley, and West Dart Valley, with a note on the Grey Wethers, 325-8 (Article in Serial). SDV344944.

This is the southernmost of the two circles known as the Grey Wethers. In 1879 it consisted of 7 standing and 20 fallen stones, of which two were nearly buried. By 1891, another stone had become partially buried. None of the fallen stones are likely to have stood much higher than 1.4 metres.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, 2366-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX68SW1 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV244063.

(19/06/1950) No barrow or sepulchral remains visible inside the circle. Diameter 33.0 metres. Consists of 29 stones, height varying between 1.0 and 1.4 metreThe stones are very regularly spaced, being about 3.5 metres apart.
(25/02/1977) Baring Gould (1899) claims that several barrows have been found near to or in sight of the circles, but this is probably a reference to two barrows (SX 68 SW 18 & SX 68 SW 29) which were inspected in 1898.

Brown, T., 1961, Tales of a Dartmoor Village: Some Preliminary Notes on the Folklore of Postbridge (Article in Serial). SDV238060.

Other details: 204.

National Monuments Record, 1977, NMR SX6383, 245-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV244058.

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

Very clear on Royal Air Force 1947 and National Monuments Record 1977 aerial photographs, each stone being visible, even on the 1947 photograph.

Department of Environment, 1986, Untitled Source (Correspondence). SDV326275.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for re-erection of one stone 1986.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, M. J. Fletcher (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(02/07/1990) Centred SX 63878314. The Grey Wethers are two well preserved, restored stone circles which are c.6m apart. They are situated in a shallow valley at 479m OD between Sittaford Tor (538m OD) to the W and rising ground (485m OD) to the NE. The area, under moorland pasture, has been disturbed by desultory amorphous diggings and shallow, natural erosion gullies.
The S circle, located on a slight E-facing slope, has an internal diameter of approximately 33m with 29 upright stones. The majority of these stones have been re-erected and some are now misaligned; almost all have groups of small packing stones around their bases. Tabulated list of stones in NRHE Archive.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/PU, 7-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336422.

Griffiths, D., 1990, Grey Wethers southern stone circle (Worksheet). SDV344951.

Restoration works undertaken to re-erect one of the fallen stones. The existing stone socket was excavated, revealing nothing of archaeological value. This stone has fallen (and been re-erected by unknown persons) in the past. The southern circle was also planned to scale. Other details: Scale plan attached.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 55, 60, 80 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

G2. 20 stones standing in restored circle, 35.5 metres in diameter. One axis on low ridge, other on saddle. One of only paired circles on Dartmoor. Positioned at the headwaters of the Dart and Teign rivers. Uniformly rectangular stones.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 144192 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(1997) At SX63868311. The southernmost of two stone circles known as the Grey Wethers.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 165-6, 232, Map 35, Figure 35.9 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Grey Wethers S. stone circle at SX638831 of 33.6 metres diameter with 29 of the original 30 stones 3.3 metres apart and with an average height of 1.15 metres. Prior to the restoration by Burnard in 1909, only seven stones remained standing in the southern circle. Both circles originally consisted of 30 stones and appear to have been intended to be identical, with the centres due north and south of each other. Shallow pits evident in the peat within the circles are the result of trial excavations undertaken by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1898, who found a layer of charcoal covering the original ground surface.

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

Some stones shown on survey.

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

'The Grey Wethers Stone Circles (restored)' depicted on the modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England, 1018707 (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

The monument, which falls into six areas, includes two stone circles, three round cairns, two ring cairns and an oval enclosure lying at the head of three separate rivers within Great Stannon Newtake. The stone circles known collectively as The Grey Wethers, lie adjacent to each other and are very similar in size and character. The northern circle measures 31.5 meters in diameter and is denoted by 20 upright granite slabs with an average height of 1.1 meters. The diameter of the southern circle is 33 meters and includes 29 standing stones varying in height between 1.0 and 1.4 meters. Excavations carried out by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee towards the end of the 19th century revealed a layer of charcoal covering the original ground surface. A shallow trench visible leading through the southern circle may be the result of this excavation. Other details: SAM ID: 28680.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4817 - Restoration works at Grey Wethers southern stone circle
• EDV4818 - Restoration works at Grey Wethers southern stone circle
• EDV8533 - Excavation at Grey Wethers stone circles
• EDV8650 - Great Stannon Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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