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Summary

One of two cairns in a group on Wigford Down; these are contained within the coaxial field system. This is a round cairn which survives as a circular mound measuring 10 metres in diameter and 0.6 metres high. A ring cairn lies just to the south (MDV48903), while three other cairns lie to the south-east.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and walling of Bronze age parallel reave field system with hut circle settlements and cairns, plus deserted Medieval settlements with long houses and pillow mounds, on Wigford Down
• Scheduled Monument 1002522: Four round barrows on Wigford Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NW23
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439081
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NW/10
• Old SAM County Ref: DV435

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1943, 62nd Report on Barrows, 55 (Article in Serial). SDV165840.

On or near the summit of Wigford Down, there are five cairns or remains of cairns. Four are shown on the Ordnance Survey 6 inch map series.
(5) Cairn measures 37 feet in diameter (11.2 metres), height 3 feet (0.91 metres). Not marked on the Ordnance Survey map. The centre lies 970 feet (295.6 metres) from the centre of cairn 1 (MDV2312) on a bearing of east 3 ¾ degrees south and slightly the to north of the green track leading to Brisworthy Lane End.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, 3239-40 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340833.

Not recognisable on air photographs.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1980, SX56NW23 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV268171.

(1950) Turf-covered cairn circle adjacent to cairn.
(16/09/1980) On the east slope of Wigford Down at 261m. OD is a cairn 12.0m. in diameter and 0.9m. high. A hut circle lies on its southern edge. (See SX 56 NW 38).
Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.

Ordnance Survey, 1953-1969, 1953-1969 National Grid OS A edition imperial, 1954 edition (Cartographic). SDV352727.

(SX 54956508) Cairn, (NR).

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 157, Wigford Down 4 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(Site visited 27/7/1972) Cairn measuring 12.0 metres in diameter, height 0.6 metres.

Price, D. G., 1978, Settlement and ancient fields on Wigford Down, 69-75 (Article in Serial). SDV220620.

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

Visible and recorded on Royal Air Force 1946 aerial photographs.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 79-80, Map 48, Figure 48.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Wigford Down cairn '6' at SX54966508 of 10.0 metres diameter by 0.4 metres high is a bowl cairn.

Unknown, 1996, Untitled Source (Unattributed Sites and Monuments Register Entry). SDV346336.

The Ordnance Survey / National Monuments Record may have confused Grinsell's sites 4 and 4a. This record refers to Grinsell's 4, which he describes as a cairn.

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

Cairn visible on aerial photography as a circular grassy area.

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

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WD-5 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(24/03/2020) Cairn is covered in vegetation growth (grass, moss, bracken); otherwise the condition is moderate.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs (Photograph). SDV363073.

Site recorded during condition visit.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8316 - Wigford Down PAL survey

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