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Summary

Large stoney cairn of 24 metres diameter by up to 3.5 metres high with several internal pits located slightly to the east of a ridge crest which runs south from Watern Tor. This very prominent feature lies in an area covered by fairly dense surface stone and it possesses extensive views to the east and south-east.
Two small crescentic features of roughly coursed boulders lie to the east of the cairn. They measure approximately 3.0 metres in diameter and 0.4 metres high and appear to be recent constructions probably of military origin.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017924: Round cairn 780m south of the Thirlstone

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68NW18
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443720
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NW/8
• Old SAM County Ref: 480
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 28660

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, 1367-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1979, SX68NW18 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV239833.

Cairn east of Hangingstone Hill. Cairn (length 23.0m, width 19.5m, mean height 2.0m)
(18/08/1950) This large cairn is hollow in centre.
(12/09/1979) A cairn measuring 23.5m east to west, 20.0m north to south and 1.8m high. There is a large and probably very old excavation hollow in the centre of the cairn, otherwise it is in fair condition. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 143 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

National Monuments Record, 1978, SX6286, 1/12-12a (Aerial Photograph). SDV239836.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV342809.

Visited 23/02/1982.

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

This cairn is clearly visible on 1947 RAF and 1978 NMR aerial photograph.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Visited 06/03/1986.

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

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 211, 244, Map 41, Site '3' (Monograph). SDV219155.

Watern Tor S. cairn at SX62918607 of 24 metres diameter by up to 3.5 metres high. Massive cairn on the southern tip of Watern Tor ridge 50 metres below the highest point. The cairn is 24 metres across and 3.5 metres above ground level on its downhill side where stones thrown out from the central pits have increased its original height considerably. No doubt many of the stones have rolled back into the cavities but the excavations do not seem to have reached ground level so the lower levels may be undisturbed.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(02/09/1993) SX 62918608. A large stoney cairn located slightly to the east of a ridge crest which runs south from Watern Tor. This very prominent feature lies in an area covered by fairly dense surface stone and it possesses extensive views to the east and south-east. It measures 23.5m east to west by 20.2m and varies in height from 1.5m on the west to 3.5m on the east. It consists of an immense jumble of granite boulders and slabs and displays several hollows in its top. The largest of these lies slightly east of centre and is a maximum 1.1m deep. Two shallower examples are situated in the western half of the cairn. The material from these hollows has produced a stoney rim around the crest of the cairn. There is no trace of any turf or peat in the matrix of the cairn.
Two small crescentic features of roughly coursed boulders lie to the east of the cairn. They measure approximately 3.0m in diameter and 0.4m high and appear to be recent constructions probably of military origin.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(21/10/2003) This feature remains as described in 1993 with little sign of on-going disturbance.

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

Cairn shown on survey.

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

Visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

'Cairn' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1017924 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument includes a visually prominent round cairn situated on the eastern crest of an unnamed ridge leading south from Watern Tor. The cairn survives as a 24 metres diameter and 3 metres high stony mound. A pit in the centre of the cairn suggests early partial excavation or robbing. A pile of stones on the southern side of the mound and a small drystone built shelter are both the result of relatively recent activity. A band of rushes measuring up to 3.5 metres wide around the outer edge of the cairn on the north and eastern sides may indicate the presence of a buried ditch which on the southern side survives as a 1.5 metres wide and 0.3 metres deep hollow. Some of the material used in the construction of the cairn will have been derived from this ditch.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV7620 - Okehampton Artillary Range

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