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Summary

A turf covered cairn on level stoney ground which lies between the north western foot of Metheral Hill and Taw Marsh. This gently domed cairn measures 6.0 metres north to south by 5.3 metres and stands a maximum of 0.6 metres high. It is roughly circular in plan and is apparently undisturbed apart from some minor delving in north western quadrant.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016641: A cairnfield, unenclosed stone hut circle settlement and boundary stone 380m south west of a ford on the Small Brook

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444210
• National Record of the Historic Environment: SX69SW41
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SW/82/1
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 28724

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOUNDARY CAIRN (Constructed, Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 143, Lydford 2 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(May 1976) SX 62129048 Cairn diameter 5.5m, height 0.3m.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 244, Map 40, Site 'c' (Monograph). SDV219155.

Tor Marsh S. '1' possible cairn at SX62129048 of 5.0 metres diameter by 0.3 metres high.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(10/08/1993) SX 62119045. A turf covered cairn on level stoney ground which lies between the north western foot of Metheral Hill and Taw Marsh. This gently domed cairn measures 6.0m north to south by 5.3m and stands a maximum of 0.6m high. It is roughly circular in plan and is apparently undisturbed apart from some minor delving in north western quadrant.
It is probably of medieval or later in origin and constructed to mark the boundary of Dartmoor Forest and South Tawton parishes which in this area runs in a straight line from two boundary stones (SX 68 NW 71) on Metheral Hill to another two stones (SX 69 SW 63) flanking the River Taw.
Three further stoney mounds (SX 69 SW 42, 66 and 67) on or near the same boundary lie to the north west and south east.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(24/10/2003) This feature remains as described in 1993.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Cairn shown on survey.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1016641 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument, which falls into three areas, includes a cairnfield, unenclosed stone hut circle settlement and post-medieval boundary stone situated on a gentle north west facing slope overlooking Taw Marsh. The cairnfield includes 21 mounds standing between 0.4 metres and 0.8 metres high. Sixteen of the cairns are circular in shape and measure between 2.6 metres and 6.5 metres in diameter, whilst the remainder are oval and are up to 8 metres long by 4 metres wide.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range

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