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Summary

Barrow situated in a prominent position on the broad ridge of Hamel Down. When surveyed in 1990 the barrow was recorded as a low, heather-covered mound with a smooth appearance with hardly any stone visible. Amorphous shape with maximum dimensions of 29 metres north-west to south-east and 21.5 metres north-east to south-west. It stands between 0.6 metres and 1.0 metre high. Antiquarian excavation in 1873.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1003296: Five barrows on Hamel Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX77NW22
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 455080
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NW/59
• Old SAM County Ref: 369

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROUND BARROW (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• BOUNDARY STONE (XIX - 1850 AD to 1860 AD)

Full description

Spence Bate, C., 1873, Researches into Some Ancient Tumuli on Dartmoor, 272-5, plan and illus of flint implement (Article in Serial). SDV309431.

(1872) A cairn 66 feet in diameter and 3'6" high. Excavated by C. Spence-Bate in 1873. Cairn ring and small central cairn discovered. There was no trace of a burial under the central cairn but six feet to the south east was a cremation burial with a small flint implement nearby. Dated to the early part of the Bronze Age.
Forms a perfect circle; but the substance of the barrow has so gradually thinned away at the margin of the mound that it is not in all places quite easy to define the exact limit.
When excavated a mass of irregular stones were found which formed a wall. All the earth on the outer side of this low circular enclosure has resulted from depression of the soft material with which this mound was built. On the south side were found several stones lying flat on the surface of the ground beneath the mound; these were placed in a curved line like a pavement, as a causeway leading to the barrow and ended at the stone embankment that encircled the mound. Several stones of large proportion was found, one was very suggestive of having been the cover stone of an internment. On being raised it was found to rest on the subsoil. Burnt bone was found amongst which a bit was determined to be the palatal fang of a human upper molar tooth. Also charcoal was found and a thin square shaped implement of flint. It has one side (on which is shown the bulb of percussion) flat over the entire surface being the result of a fracture; the other side has a ridge.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 107, 108, 120, 131, plate 1 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

(1901) Single barrow - a heather covered cairn, misshapen and mutilated at the top. The margin of the barrow is built in stone also. A boundary stone near the centre is dated 1854, and inscribed "single barrow".

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 361, Early Man (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

Fox, A., 1948-1952, The Broad Down (Farway) Necropolis and the Wessex Culture in Devon, 1-19 (Article in Serial). SDV123888.

Lady Fox viewed this barrow as an earth and stone composite with outer stone ring and central cairn, a distinct structural type occurring only on Dartmoor and Exmoor, with parallels at the nearby Broad Barrow and Two Barrows.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF RP541/540, 3143 (Aerial Photograph). SDV290988.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1960, SX77NW22 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV309437.

(10/05/1960) A heather covered cairn, misshapen and with a mutilation in the top. It is 1.0 m. high. A boundary stone near the centre is dated 1854 and inscribed 'Single Burrow'. A 25" survey has been made.

Fox, A., 1973, South West England 3,500BC - AD600 (Revised Edition), 87 (Monograph). SDV16216.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 155 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(21/7/1972) Round barrow, crowned by boundary stone dated 1854, and inscribed single burrow. Excavated 1873. Diameter 23 metres, height 1.0 metres.

Beeson, M. M. R. + Masterman, M. C. H., 1979, An Archaeological Survey of Enclosed Land in Widecombe-In-The-Moor Parish, Volume V, 1064. (Report - Survey). SDV337078.

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

Single barrow with boundary stone. Visible on aerial photographs and recorded on map overlay.

Brewer, D., 1986, A field guide to the boundary markers on and around Dartmoor, 19 (Monograph). SDV309252.

The boundary stone is purpose made with a rounded head and is inscribed "Single Burrow" [east face] and "DS 1854" [west face]. It is one of a series marking the bounds of Natsworthy Manor, which at the time belonged to Edward Augustus Seymour, 11th Duke of Somerset.

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

(27/07/1990) SX 7056 7953: Single Barrow. Situated in a prominent position on the broad ridge of Hamel Down, on the parish boundary between Manaton and Widecombe, just W of the N-S track.
Today the barrow is a low, heather-covered mound with a smooth appearance: hardly any stone is visible. It has an amorphous shape with maximum dimensions of 29m NW to SE and 21.5m NE to SW, [it is hard to imagine how it could have ever been a "perfect circle" as stated by Spence Bate (1873)]. It stands between 0.6m and 1m high. The excavation of the barrow in 1873 has left its mark: the W half appears undisturbed: the edges are long, gradual and gently curving and the flat top is probably original. The N side is scalloped by undated digging [which is certainly not recorded by Spence-Bate]. His effort effectively removed the SE quadrant and this is clearly visible: the boundary stone, presumably re-set by him, stands in a central irregular depression 0.6m deep at the apex of Bate's triangular trench. B, a narrow gulley 1.5 to 2.5m wide and 0.5m deep which runs out from the centre to the SE is the W limit of Bate's trench: it presents the illusion of a narrow excavation. To the E the scarping and mounding centred on A is all backfill [rabbits have made great play] but it is evident that spoil was temporarily dumped over the track E of the barrow during the dig: there is deep soil on the track here which presents a 0.4m rise on the approach from the S, whereas to N and S normal soil cover on the track is totally eroded.
Spence-Bate's excavation (1873) revealed a barrow built largely of earth within which is a low bank/wall of stones or cairn-ring which he interpreted as the original circumference. However, he does not record its position or dimensions but from his sketch it appears to span not quite two-thirds of his 66ft [10.12m] diameter for the whole barrow. The earth beyond the ring he saw as soil which had eroded out from the centre. There was also a small central cairn of stones 3ft [0.91m] high with no burial beneath it. The cremation was located 6ft [1.83m] to the SE of the centre: part of a human upper molar and a flint flake were identified. Lady Fox viewed this barrow as an earth and stone composite with outer stone ring and central cairn, a distinct structural type occurring only on Dartmoor and Exmoor, with parallels at the nearby Broad Barrow (SX 77 NW 1) and Two Barrows (SX 77 NW 23) (A. Fox, Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 1948-52, Vol 4, pgs. 1-19).
The boundary stone is purpose made with a rounded head and is inscribed "Single Burrow" [E face] and "DS 1854" [W face]. It is one of a series marking the bounds of Natsworthy Manor, which at the time belonged to Edward Augustus Seymour, 11th Duke of Somerset (D. Brewer, 1986, 16).
Grinsell's MANATON 11 (L. V. Grinsell, TDA, 1978, vol 36, pgs. 85-180).
Surveyed at 1:500.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Barrow is depicted on the modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6653 - HUMAN REMAINS (Bronze Age - 2200 BC? to 701 BC)

Associated Events

• EDV8577 - Excavation of barrow, Hamel Down
• EDV8658 - Challacombe, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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