See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

The remains of an enclosed settlement very much reduced by later mining activity, on the south-west slopes of Eylesbarrow. The sub-oval enclosure measures internally some 140m by 115m with rubble walling averaging 0.6m high and 2.5m wide; there are no obvious original entrances. The southern side of the enclosure is completed by a series of natural boulders. Six huts are visible, two adjoin the walls while the remainder are free standing. The huts average 2.8m in internal diameter, mostly with southern entrances and levelled interiors. They have walling 1.5m wide and 0.4m high and are in poor condition.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021055: Eylesbarrow Tin Mine and associated remains

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438746
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/40
• Old SAM Ref: 34467

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs, 1890 4354-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Enclosure visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SX56NE85 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV363210.

(20/12/1978) On a west facing slope at approximately 360 metres OD are the remains of an enclosed settlement very much reduced by later mining activity. The sub-oval enclosure measures internally some 140 metres by 115 metres with rubble walling averaging 0.6 metres high and 2.5 metres wide; there are no obvious original entrances. The southern side of the enclosure is completed by a series of natural boulders.
Six Type 1 huts are visible, two adjoin the walls while the remainder are free standing. The huts average 2.8 metre internal diameter mostly wth southern entrances and levelled interiors. They have walling 1.5 metres wide and 0.4 metres high and are in poor condition. (Type site: SX 56 SE 19). Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

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

Not visible on aerial photographs.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 157159 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 3rd June 1993. Enclosure 770 metres west-south-west of Eylesbarrow, forming part of an enclosed Prehistoric settlement. Double orthostat wall 1.9 metres wide, 0.9 metres high.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 68-70, Map 47, Figure 47.6 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Enclosure 'A' at 'Eylesbarrow West' with numerous pits dug across the interior and many breaks in the boundary wall. Four hut circles of 3.0 to 5.0 metres diameter remain on the north and east sides. Others have probably been lost due to mining operations.

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

(06/07/1999) A large enclosure centred at SX.59306822 contains at least five hut circles and the possible sites of two others. The western part of the enclosure is overlaid by a large, disused mine shaft and its spoil tips; also fragments of a leat and a wide flat rod trench occupy part of the interior.
The five hut circles are :
SX59336816 Internally 4.0m by 3.4m with a boulder/slab wall 0.5m high. It is attached to the enclosure wall and the ruined entrance is in the SW side.
SX59336825 Internally 4.5m by 3.5m with a boulder/slab wall 0.5m high.
SX59326826 Internally 3.5m by 3.2m with a boulder/slab wall 0.4m high.
SX59276828 Internally 4.5m by 4.3m with a boulder/slab wall 0.4m high.
SX59296826 Internally 3.5m by 3.3m with a boulder/ slab wall 0.6m high. The interior appears to be slightly raised.
The position of the hut entrances are not clear.
The sites of two possible huts each built where the enclosure wall appears to deviate around one side are at SX59336827 and SX59316828.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA147 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA147.

Newman, P., 2006, Cramber Tor Training Area Archaeological Field Investigation (Report - Survey). SDV233640.

(01/08/2006) As described by Royal Commission (1999).

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

'Settlement' shown on modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England, 1013474 (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

Stone hut circles and hut settlements were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers on Dartmoor. They mostly date from the Bronze Age, with the earliest examples on the Moor in this building tradition dating to about 1700 BC. The stone-based round houses consist of low walls or banks enclosing a circular floor area; remains of the turf or thatch roof are not preserved. The huts may occur singly or in small or large groups and may lie in the open or be enclosed by a bank of earth and stone. In addition to the two enclosed settlements, the monument includes a length of watershed reave. The reaves are part of an extensive system of prehistoric land division introduced during the Bronze Age (about 2000-700BC).

National Monument Record, 2014, Pastscape, 438746 (Website). SDV355682.

The remains of an enclosed settlement very much reduced by later mining activity, on the south-west slopes of Eylesbarrow. The sub-oval enclosure measures internally some 140 metres by 115 metres with rubble walling averaging 0.6 metres high and 2.5 metres wide; there are no obvious original entrances. The southern side of the enclosure is completed by a series of natural boulders. Six huts are visible, two adjoin the walls while the remainder are free standing. The huts average 2.8 metres in internal diameter, mostly with southern entrances and levelled interiors. They have walling 1.5 metres wide and 0.4 metres high and are in poor condition.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6239 - Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine
• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey
• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape
• EDV6034 - Monument Condition Survey in Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6152 - Follow-up Works to Threatened Sites in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6153 - Monument Baseline Condition Survey in the Cramber Tor Training Area

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.