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Summary

Small disturbed cairn at the south-western end of the double stone row north-west of Sharpitor. Diameter up to 5 metres and height 0.3 - 0.4 metres. Possible ditch around cairn detected during geophysical survey in 2021.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007422: Two stone alignments and a round cairn 390m NW of Sharpitor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE49
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440167
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/27/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 830
• Old SAM Ref: 22283

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROUND CAIRN (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 296 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

There is a small cairn at the western end of the double stone row.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 4442 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE49, SX57SE49 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272418.

To the west of the row is a small cairn, measuring 3.5 metres in diameter and 0.2 metres high. Appears to have been recently disturbed on the east side where the stones have been pulled loose, and an attempt at replacement (26/8/1950).

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 174 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(07/09/1972) Cairn from which double stone row extends in an east-north-easterly direction. Diameter 4 metres and height 0.2 metres.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE118 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272541.

(20/05/1980) The cairn is turf-covered and in poor condition it measures 3.8 metres by 3.6 metres in diameter and is 0.3 metres high.

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

Visible on aerial photographs and recorded on map overlay.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 1992 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Cairn measures 7.4 metres in diameter, 0.4 metres high. There is a hollow in the eastern side, 2.2 metres by 0.9 metres by 0.1 metres deep, is probably the result of partial excavation or robbing.

Turton, S. D., 1993, Archaeological Assessment of SWW Dousland to Rundlestone Water Main, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV249910.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 44-5, Map 45, Figure 45.7 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Sharpitor N W stone row cairn at SX55667061 of 4.5 metres diameter by 0.3 metres high. The cairn has lost its retaining circle and has been dug into in the centre.

Fletcher, M. J., 2007-2008, Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV359195.

(15/05/2007) The cairn and stone row are as described although more stones are hidden by thick moorland turf. The heavily disturbed cairn is up to 5 metres across and 0.3 to 0.4 metres high. Footpaths criss cross the area. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

'Cairn' is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 16/08/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

This monument includes two roughly parallel stone alignments and a round cairn situated on a gently sloping hillside overlooking the valley of the River Walkham. The round cairn stands at the south-western end of two rows of stones, one row arranged in pairs (a double stone alignment), and the other row comprising single stones.
The cairn mound measures 7.4m in diameter and stands up to 0.4m high. A hollow in the eastern side of the mound is probably the result of partial excavation or robbing.
Despite evidence for partial excavation of the cairn and limited robbing of the stone alignments, the two stone alignments and round cairn 390m NNW of Sharpitor survive comparatively well and form an important constituent part of a diverse group of monuments including contemporary settlements, field systems, ritual and other funerary sites.

Newman, P., 2019, An Archaeological Survey of an area of Walkhampton Common, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, Appendix, Figure 6 (Report - Survey). SDV363478.

An unembellished round cairn, which serves as the south-west terminal of a double stone row (MDV3762) on the north-west slope of Sharpitor, close by the B3212. The base diameter of the cairn is 4.6 metres with a maximum height of 0.4 metres. There is evidence of an unrecorded excavation in the centre of the mound.

Newman, P., 2019, Walkhampton Common Survey data (GIS and Excel Spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV363701.

Cairn shown to the west of the Sharpitor stone rows

Edwards, M. + Trick, S., 2021, An Archaeological magnetometer and resistance survey Goadstone Pool North (site B) and South (site C) Stone Rows, 7, figs 2-5 (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV365149.

The survey in 2021 was successful in detecting and locating anomalies of possible and likely archaeological origin, but was unable to ascertain whether the stone rows continue north-east towards cairn MDV3769, although possible anomalies may indicate buried stones, including one close to the eastern cairn. A likely ditch was identified at the western cairn; the results from the eastern cairn were inconclusive.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8225 - Survey of an area of Walkhampton CommonSurvey of an area of Walkhampton Common
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8849 - Geophysical survey of the Goadstone Pool Stone Rows (Ref: 2010DAR(B,C)-R-1)

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