See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Greeves (2009) describes this a probable prehistoric cairn on Crane Hill, Dartmoor Forest. More recent investigation in 2024 has suggested it is in fact a meiler, or the site of a peat-charcoal kiln.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a prehistoric cairn on Crane Hill, visible as a low mound around 14 metres in diameter

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) CAIRN (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• CHARCOAL BURNING PLATFORM (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD? (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Greeves, T. + Greeves, E., 2009, Site visit to prehistoric cairn on Crane Hill (Worksheet). SDV344864.

Probable prehistoric cairn on the south western flank of Crane Hill, visible as a discrete circular embanked mound, in area recently burnt of vegetation. External diameter is approximately 14-15 meters and height is 0.5 meters. In the centre is a shallow circular depression, approximately 4 meters in diameter and on the south western side the bank has a gap around 1 meter wide.

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

Circular feature visible on the aerial photography.

Gillard, M., 2024, Peat mound, probable meiler (Worksheet). SDV365930.

Site visited in March 2024 when probing showed the mound to be entirely without stone. Probing also detected layer of ‘crunchy’ material approx. 0.4m below surface in centre of mound. Shape of monument – low mound with central depression, lack of stone, presence of crunchy layer beneath surface, and location within an extensive area of (much degraded) turf cuttings, suggests interpretation of this feature as a meiler – the site of a peat-charcoal kiln. Eroded meilers have shown the subsurface layer to consist of carbonised peat; presumably this is the remains of peat charcoal, most of which will have been taken away for use elsewhere.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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