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Summary

Agglomerate enclosure containing six hut circles. Enclosure includes two separate enclosed areas and covers 0.45 hectares. The western enclosure is the earliest, measures internally 62 metres by 58 metres with a 2 metres wide rubble wall up to 0.7 metres high. Two stone hut circles lie within this enclosure and another is attached to its inner face. The eastern enclosure is 38 metres by 40 metres with three hut circles

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014145: Three stone alignments, 15 cairns, a cist, a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement and a small clapper bridge at Drizzle Combe

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE87
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438752
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/38
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24104
• Old SAM Ref: 10722

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSED SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Hut Circles' shown on 19th century map with an almost circular enclosure.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2494, 4128-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV147533.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56NE87 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV363539.

(27/06/1977) On a south-west facing slope at 360m. OD is an enclosed settlement containing three hut circles, with a further three huts outside.
The enclosure is circular, 33.0m. in diameter, and formed by boulders, orthostats and rubble measuring 1.2m. wide and 0.7m. high. There are a number of small breaks in the perimeter but
no obvious original entrance.
The huts are in poor condition. Three appear to be of Type 1 (SX 56 SE 19) and three of Type 2 (SX 56 NE 71) of which one Type 1 and two Type 2 are within the enclosure. Three have visible entrances, all on the south. The hut farthest from the enclosure on the East has an internal diameter of 6.0m. The others are smaller, with diameters ranging from 3.0m. to 4.0m. The walls are from 0.8m. to 1.1m. wide. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD.

Balaam, N. D. + Smith, K. + Wainwright, G. J., 1982, The Shaugh Moor Project: Fourth Report - Environment, Context and Conclusion, 258 (Article in Serial). SDV145845.

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

Agglomerated enclosure, number of elements indistinct. Two hut circles attached to interior walls, one hut circle attached to exterior. One hut circle immediately to northeast of enclosure, two hut circles to south. Possible building within enclosure. Two leats lead from possible building.

Price, D. G., 1985, Changing Perceptions of Prehistoric Tinning on Dartmoor, 129-138 (Article in Serial). SDV215975.

Fleming, A., 1987, Prehistoric Tin Extraction on Dartmoor: A Cautionary Note, 117-122 (Article in Serial). SDV215976.

Price, D. G., 1988, Prehistoric Tin Extraction on Dartmoor: A Reply to Andrew Fleming, 91-95 (Article in Serial). SDV215977.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133430 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(12/03/1993) At SX59336724. Agglomerate enclosure containing six hut circles. Enclosure includes two separate enclosed areas and covers 0.45 hectares. The western enclosure is the earliest, measures internally 62m east-west by 58m north-south and is defined by a 2m wide rubble wall standing up to 0.7m high. Two stone hut circles lie within this enclosure and another is attached to its inner face.
The interior of the eastern enclosure is sub circular in shape and measures 38m north-west by south-east by 40m north-east by south-west. Three stone hut circles, two of which are conjoined are linked by the eastern enclosure walling, strongly suggesting that they were built prior to this enclosure's construction.
All 6 stone hut circles include circular banks of stone and earth surrounding an internal area. Hut (a) at SX59326727 is of the hooked plan and rubble bank walling type. Interior measures 1.2 metres in diameter and is defined by a 2.6 metre wide wall standing up to 0.5 metres high. A curved rubble bank extending for 2 metres from the hut may represent a hooked porch.
Hut (b) at SX59316723 is of the simple plan and double orthostat walling type. Interior measures 4.3 metres in diameter and is defined by a 2 metre wide wall standing up to 0.6 metres high.
Hut (c) at SX59346725 is of the simple plan and rubble bank walling type. Interior measures 3.9 metres in diameter and is defined by a 1.7 metre wide wall standing up to 0.4 metres high. This hut is attached to the inner face of the western enclosure.
Hut (d) at SX59346722 is of the conjoined plan and rubble bank walling type. Interior measures 7.3 metres in diameter and is defined by a 2 metre wide wall standing up to 0.5 metres high. A north-west facing gap in the surrounding wall may represent an original doorway. This hut is linked to a length of enclosure walling and a smaller stone hut circle
Hut (e) at SX59346722] is of the conjoined plan and rubble bank walling type. Interior measures 2.7 metres in diamete and is defined by a 1.2 metre wide wall standing up to 0.5 metres high. This hut is linked to Hut [d].
Hut (f ) at SX59386722 is of the simple plan and double orthostat walling type. Interior measures 6.6 metres in diameter and is defined by a 1.7 metre wide wall standing up to 0.7 metres high. This hut is linked to a length of the eastern enclosure wall.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 128, Figure 49.13, Map 49 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Drizzlecombe Enclosure (A) with long sections of wall 1.2 - 1.6 metres wide still intact. Cross slabs preserve the original entrance into the secondary pound to the east. Three structures occupy the main enclosure. The central Hut (1) of 4 metres diameters and Hut (2) of 3.4 metres diameter. Feature (3) apparently a hollowed cairn which is possibly a converted hut circle has a short bank linking it to the curtain wall. Hut (4) in the eastern part of the enclosure has been badly damaged and Hut (5) of 6 metres diameter was entered for the outside of the enclosure. Hut (6) to the south of the enclosure seems to have an alcove built into it and just ro the west are the remains of probably another double hut.

Robertson, J. G., 1994, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym Valley, 873-5 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV139549.

Depicted by Robertson.

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

(06/08/1999) A very fine enclosure with a second smaller enclosure or annexe on the east side. The main enclosure contains three huts, while the attached enclosure has two hut circles (recorded separately; see related records).

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Enclosure visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Sub-circular enclosure shown on modern mapping as 'Settlement' with three internal hut circles, two further circles to the east and two to the south.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England, 1014145 (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

Roughly circular enclosure with a further sub-circular enclosure attached to south-east side. Banks 2 metres wide, 0.75 metres high enclosing an area 70 metres by 66 metres for main enclosure and 45 metres by 50 metres for subsidiary one. Within the main enclosure are 3 hut circles up to 11 metres diameter with walls 1.5 metres wide, 0.6 metres high. In the subsidiary enclosure are 2 joined huts and one single hut of similar dimensions.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey

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