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Summary

One of two Bronze Age cairns and a short stone row are recorded on the lower slopes of Leeden Tor. These three features are now under fairly dense gorse vegetation. This (lower) cairn is well defined with much of its structure intact despite the presence of a central shallow pit. Ordnance Survey mapping indicates the presence of a short stone row extending from the south-east side of this lower cairn. This area is now (2007) hidden by bramble and gorse vegetation therefore interpretation is difficult however it appears that at least some of the visible stones here lie in a slight gully - part of the natural rock sub-strata exposed by water erosion.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007431: Round cairn 685m north-east of Sharpitor summit

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE45
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440155
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/18/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 940B
• Old SAM Ref: 22268

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)
• STONE ALIGNMENT? (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1947, 66th Report of the Barrow Committee, 31-2, plate 2 (Article in Serial). SDV16898.

One of two cairns. Cairn B measures 24 feet in diameter, with no apparent cist or cairn circle.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE45 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272868.

(25/04/1950) One of two cairns between Princetown road and extreme western angle of enclosure of Stanlake Farm.
Cairn B measures 7.0m in diameter, height 0.7m. Condition very good although it appears to have been dug into from the top. The kist however does not appear to have been exposed, although a great many stones have been uncovered. The retaining circle is visible and the mound is well preserved.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 175, 07/09/1972 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Cairn, hollow towards centre. Diameter 8.0m, height 0.9m. One of two cairns on north-east slope of Sharpitor.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX57SE45, Cairn B (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV272863.

B: A turf-covered cairn measuring 7.0m in diameter and 0.8m in height with a hollow in the top (see ground photograph) and a shallow trench.
It is from the western edge of this cairn that an alignment of stones can be traced for about 40m in a southerly direction and ending at a track or disused leat. At the northern end seven protruding stones appear to represent a rather poorly set out double row (see illustration plan). Thereafter stones occur in arbitrary fashion and though it is possible to make pairs, all the stones are simply protruding the turf, mostly from 2 to 5cms and at the southern end are well off the alignment and fall into no recognisable pattern.
Cairns and row positioned on 1:10 000 MSD, the row conventionalized.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV345762.

Visited 19/01/1983.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force 1946 aerial photographs.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 47, Map 45 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Leeden Tor S '3' cairn at SX56447084 of 8.0 metres diameter by 1.4 metres high. Two Bronze Age cairns on the lower slopes of Leeden Tor. This lower cairn retains a good shape despite a shallow central pit and much of its structure is intact. The OS map shows a stone row descending from its southern edge but the blocks here appear to be no more artificially arranged than many others scattered over the hillside.

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

(15/05/2007) Two Bronze Age cairns and a short stone row are recorded on the lower slopes of Leeden Tor. These three features are now under fairly dense gorse vegetation. This (lower) cairn is well defined with much of its structure intact despite the presence of a central shallow pit. Ordnance Survey mapping indicates the presence of a short stone row extending from the south-east side of this lower cairn. This area is now hidden by bramble and gorse vegetation therefore interpretation is difficult however it appears that at least some of the visible stones here lie in a slight gully - part of the natural rock sub-strata exposed by water erosion. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 05/10/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

Scheduled The upper cairn is 10m in diameter and up to 0.8m high with a cist on the partially excavated south - west side. The lower cairn is 10m across and up to 0.9m high with a hollow in the centre.
Note the alleged stone row extending from this cairn is not mentioned (citing Scheduled Monument Notification, 04/07/1994).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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