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Summary

Small sub-circular enclosure of 22.7 metres by 20.1 metres with banks 2.8 metres wide by 0.5 metres high situated to the north-west of White Ridge in Great Stannon Newtake.

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: SX68SW10
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443925
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SW/31
• Old SAM Ref: 28680.6

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1902, 8th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 164 (Article in Serial). SDV215645.

A small circular 'pound' about 350 yards (sic) SE of Grey Wethers. It measures 75ft (N-S) by 66ft; the bank composed of small stone and earth is 6-8ft wide and 3ft high. An entrance on the W has one door jamb standing; this was excavated but nothing was found except a very fine flat stone on the subsoil which measured 9ft long by 3-4ft wide. Trial pits were dug inside the enclosure without success.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, 3365-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX68SW10 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV242863.

(19/06/1950) SX 6415 8265 Baring-Gould's description is accurate except the walling has collapsed and is now only about 0.4m in height.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX6482, 1/241-242 (Aerial Photograph). SDV242866.

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

Appears as a vegetation mark on 1977 NMR aerial photograph.

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 SX64168265. This sub-circular prehistoric pound is situated on the lower W-facing slopes of White Ridge and just off the crest of a slight rise at 458. OD. Very little surface stone is visible on the hillslope which is covered by a deep peat layer.
It measures 22.7m by 20.1m internally within a turf-covered boulder/stone and soil bank which is about 2.8m wide and on average 0.5m high (although it is 0.9m high on the external W (lower) side). The entrance, identified by Baring-Gould, on the W side is 1.1m wide; the leaning granite slab is 1.2m long by 0.7m by 0.3m at its base. Two breaks in the bank on the N and S sides respectively each 3.6m wide may be excavation pits.
The peat-covered interior which has been levelled into the slope is stone-free except for the large recumbent partially buried slab (Gould, 1902) near the entrance. It is 2.7m long, 0.7m wide and now 0.2m thick above ground level; its function if any, is not obvious.
It is not a ring cairn as suggested by Turner (1990).
The distance of the pound from the centre of "The Grey Wethers Stone Circles" (SX 68 SW 1) is 557m not 320m (350 yards) as given by Baring-Gould although he is describing this pound and not the second enclosure - which is 320m SE of the circles (see SX 68 SW 2).

Fleming, A., 1988, The Dartmoor Reaves: Investigating Prehistoric Land Divisions, 38 (Monograph). SDV229071.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 66/a5 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Turner identifies this site as a ring cairn. Stone ring 21.5m internal diameter with bank 2.3m wide and 0.3m high. Modern entrance.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 144199 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(09/09/1997)At SX 64168265. A ring cairn 530m SSE of the Grey Wethers stone circles. Measures 22.7m by 20.1m by 0.5m high. The surrounding bank measures 2.8m wide. The large slab in the centre measures 2.4m by 0.75m and may have once stood upright. Coarse grass on edge of bog. Grey Wethers is just visible on the sky line.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 165-66, Map 35,Site 18 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Small almost circular enclosure of 24 metres by 22 metres. A single entrance, with a jamb stone still in place, faces west towards the river. In 1902 the Dartmoor Exploration Committee dug a few trial pits within the enclosure when nothing was found except a long narrow stone which still lies near the centre. The surrounding hillside is remarkably free of large surface stones so it is tempting to suppose that this monolith may have purposely been dragged here to be set upright.

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

Enclosure shown on survey.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1018707 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

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. A sub circular enclosure measuring 22.7 metres long by 20.1 metres wide surrounded by a 2.8 metres wide and 0.5 metres high rubble bank. An entrance on the western side measures 1.1 metres wide and in the centre is a substantial recumbent stone which may have once stood upright.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8528 - Cairn south-east of Greywethers investigated
• EDV8650 - Great Stannon Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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