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Summary

One of four Prehistoric hut circles at Smallacombe Rocks settlement. This is the most central hut circle

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002531: Settlement on Smallacombe Rocks
• SHINE: Earthworks of a Bronze Age parallel reave system with three main east-west boundary works, an enclosure hut circles and cairns, a medieval enclosure, a pillow mound, an area of post-medieval tin pits and a post-medieval field system on Haytor Down

Other References/Statuses

• Old SAM Ref: 452(P)
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE (Iron Age - 700 BC to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Baring Gould, S., 1897, Fourth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 156-9 (Article in Serial). SDV337081.

One of the hut circles described below.
Hut 1. Entrance faced south-south-east. Wall built of large stones forming inner and outer faces, some vertical and others laid on their flat sides in courses, with a filling between of small stones and earth. Two nodules of flint, two flakes and numerous sherds of a pot found. Two sherds represent the rim (Plate 6) rim has a heavy cornice, with three grooves following below, and a festoon-like ornament formed by pressing plaited cord or sinew on clay. Same impression in lines below this. Of clay baked a reddish brown, mixed with quartz and powdered granite. No cooking place or charcoal found. Disturbed by stone-cutters.
Hut 2. One jamb of doorway left, facing south. One piece of flint and a red grit pebble found. Disturbed by stone cutters.
Hut 3. 1.22 meters from east circumference of wall was an upright stone, earthfast, similar position as three stones found in Hut 1 at Foale's Arrishes. Little charcoal. Several small pottery sherds found, one part of the rim with zig zags, impressions of a twisted cord on flat surface of rim, and diagonal lines running down the neck. Ruined.
Hut 4. Double wall packed between with earth and small stones. Ruined entrance facing south. Charcoal strewn on floor. Rubble of dense slaty stone, well-worked flint knife (Plate 11), and flint flake found. Remains of two fireplaces and sherds representing portions of two pots found, one large and ornamented with a twisted cord pattern and the other a shallow, widemouthed vessel, undecorated.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, SX77NE (Cartographic). SDV337084.

The most central of the four hut circles shown at Smallacombe Rocks.

Newman, P., 1999, 2002, Haytor Down, Ilsington, Devon (Revised) (Report - Survey). SDV346395.

Hut circle shown on plan in the centre of the settlement at Smallacombe Rocks with an entrance to the south-east. It is in the north-western of the four enclosures with a possible wall running south-east to the central boundary.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 2002, Haytor Down: The Archaeology (Plan - measured). SDV359685.

Hut circle shown on survey at Smallacombe Rocks.

Ordnance Survey, 2006, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV324628.

Prehistoric hut circle within a small settlement at Smallacombe Rocks (see PRN 8055) located 37 meters to the south of PRN 72895. External dimensions of the oval hut are from north to south 12 meters and east to west 10 meters. The internal dimensions north to south are 8 meters and east to west 7 meters. A 2 meter wide entrance is shown to the southeast.

Hunnisett, K. L., 2019, Human-environmental dynamics on a middle Bronze Age Dartmoor landscape (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV363157.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7021 - Haytor Down: Survey Report (Ref: A1/2/1999)

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