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Summary

Remains of a cairn of 15 metres diameter by 0.6 metres high and an outer edge of stones which represents the remnant of a ring bank. The southern of two mounds 400 metres to the east-north-east of the Grey Wethers stone circles

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Two prehistoric cairns east-north-east of the Grey Wethers stone circles, the largest of which may be a ring cairn
• Scheduled Monument 1018707: Two stone circles known as The Grey Wethers, three round cairns, two ring cairns and an oval enclosure in Great Stannon Newtake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SW86
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 621646
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SW/103
• Old SAM Ref: 28680

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RING CAIRN (Constructed, Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Greeves, T., 1983, Cairn east of Grey Wethers (Worksheet). SDV224024.

Visited on 15th May 1983. A large circular prehistoric cairn east of Grey Wethers. It is visible on the ridge from the stone circle. Possible stony ring bank with central cairn mound or ring. A small conventional cairn lies adjacent to it on its north-east side.

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

Not visible on RAF 1947 aerial photograph.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, M. J. Fletcher (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(02/07/1990) Two cairns, 3m apart, are situated on a slight natural shelf located on a gentle SE-facing slope at 480m OD. The area in stone-free moorland pasture has been disturbed by peat-cutting activity.
SX 64268330. A low turf-covered stony mound, now disturbed and mutilated, is 16m in diameter and a maximum 0.6m high. There are traces of a turf-covered rim - possibly a kerb - up to 0.9m wide and 0.2m high on the W side. A granite slab on the north side, which may be a surviving kerb stone, is 0.7m high, 0.4m wide and 0.3m thick. There is no evidence of an excavation pit.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 144194 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(09/09/1997) A ring cairn lying 420m ENE of the Grey Wethers stone circles. Diameter 15m, height 0.6m. Robbed. Hummocky flat-topped mound with an outer edge of stones which may represent the remnants of a ring bank. Grass very different in character to that surrounding the mound. Single stone on the n side measures 0.42m high and has toppled outwards.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1018707 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument, which falls into six areas, includes two stone circles, three round cairns, two ring cairns and an oval enclosure lying at the head of three separate rivers within Great Stannon Newtake. A ring cairn which survives as a 15 metres diameter and 0.6 metres high, flat topped mound with an outer edge of stones which represents the remnant of a ring bank.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8650 - Great Stannon Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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