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Summary

Berry Pound a Prehistoric enclosure on Hamel Down

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of Prehistoric enclosure known as Berry Pound; set within a wider prehistoric field system on the eastern side of Hamel Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX78SW14
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445640
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SW/31
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX78SW14
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 13/04/1947, CPE/UK/1995, 4354 (Aerial Photograph). SDV217286.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953, SX78SW14 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV303272.

(23/03/1953) Berry Pound situated upon the fairly sharp southern slopes of a hill. The pound has evidently been robbed of much of its stone and now in the west consists of a wall spread out to the east and elsewhere of a turf bank. In the north the wall has been incorporated into a field boundary of later date. There are no traces of interior hut circles or of a definite entrance.

Royal Air Force, 1964, F62/58/6399, 0017 (Aerial Photograph). SDV272301.

A sub-circular enclosure with no traces of a ditch or internal buildings.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1976, SX78SW14 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV346389.

Beeson, M. M. R. + Masterman, M. C. H., 1979, An Archaeological Survey of Enclosed Land in Widecombe-In-The-Moor Parish, 31 (Report - Survey). SDV337078.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, SX78SW (Cartographic). SDV346261.

Visible on aerial photographs with traces of ridge and furrow within it.

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89/160, 183 (Aerial Photograph). SDV301494.

(07/11/1989) On the west side the enclosure wall is a spread of rubble from a mutilated wall which has fallen inwards, and elsewhere of a turf bank with footings of stonework visible on its outer side. The bank is 2.5m wide and its top is 0.3m above the interior ground surface, and 1.3m above the outer ground surface. A modern field wall follows the north arc of the enclosure.
The Ordnance Survey aerial photographs show a possible hut circle at SX 7133 8034 towards the northern end of the pound and also a block of 3 hectares of rig and furrow crossing it and extending to the north, east and south. Ploughmarks are also visible across the pound (N. V. Quinnell, 07/11/1989, RCHME recording).

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume One - The East, 145-6 (Monograph). SDV299725.

Prehistoric pound clinging to the steep hillside beside the East Webburn river. Its was included within later enclosures on the east side of the down. All traces of huts, which were almost certainly present, have been cleared from within and the marks of the plough can be clearly seen scoring the interior. The site was exceptionally steep for a pound and stones from the inner wall uphill have slid down the slope in a confused tumble with only the largest remaining in place. The Medieval ridge and furrow in the outer field run right up to the walls of a small longhouse to the east. Other details: Map 20, Site 3, Figure 20.3.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

Berry Pound was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 2004. Other details: Site 79.

Gerrard, S., 2006, Dartmoor Nationally Important Sites (Cartographic). SDV345607.

National Monuments Record, 2011, 445640 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV346390.

The earthworks of a sub-circular enclosure which is probably Prehistoric. Possible cropmark of a hut circle within it.

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

'Berry Pound' shown on modern mapping as a large circular feature on the east side of Hamel Down.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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