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Summary

Southern of two cairns to the north-west of Penn Beacon of 5 metres diameter by 1 metre high. Part of a linear group of cairns along the contour. This site is included in the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Prehistoric cairn to east of Cholwich Town China Clay Works

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/127
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

Robinson, R., 1979, Cairns north-west of Penn Beacon (Worksheet). SDV151764.

A cairn lying on the lower south-west facing slope of Shell Top, not far above Cholwich Town clay pits. The cairn is largely overgrown with heather and bilberry but on examination appears to be stone-built, measuring 5.0 metres in diameter, height 1.0 metres. This feature lies 200 metres south of MDV12911.

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

Not recorded.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 192-3, 213, Map 52, Figure 52.14 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Penn Beacon W. cairn '17' at SX591156297 of circa 7.0 metres diameter by 0.5 metres high. The wedge shaped cairn is a badly damaged mound. It was probably a substantial structure, the tops of at least two lines of stones are visible through the heather covering, but traces of a track leading towards it from the lower slopes indicate the route of destruction in the not too distant past.

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

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

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

Possibly visible on aerial photograph.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1012813 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This cairn is one of two on the west slope of Penn Beacon, west of Cholwich Town contour reave and lying on broadly the same contour as the several cairns on the south-west slope. These two cairns lie close to the west side of a group of springs which run down the west slope.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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