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Summary

Northern double stone row south-west of Hart Tor of 126 metres long containing nearly 90 stones with a cairn at the east end and a large terminal pillar at the west end was mentioned in 1859

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020129: Tinworks and other archaeological remains in the Meavy valley at Stanlake, Black Tor, Hart Tor and Cramber Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE32
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440118
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/52
• Old SAM County Ref: 302
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 24106
• Old SAM Ref: 22297

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Wilkinson, J. G., 1862, On British Remains on Dartmoor, pg 36-37, plate 1 (Article in Serial). SDV277122.

Spence Bate, C., 1870-1871, On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor (Article in Serial). SDV277110.

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

'Stone Avenue' shown on 19th century map.

Worth, R. N., 1892, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor, pg 396-8 (Article in Serial). SDV237176.

Visited in 1891 (estimate). Although cut by mining trench the avenue is in good condition, most of the stones standing. 102 stones counted, 69 standing; appears to have been very little robbing.

Rowe, S., 1896, A Perambulation of the Forest of Dartmoor, pg 205-6 (Monograph). SDV249697.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Northern of two 'Stone Rows' shown on early 20th century map.

Worth, R. H., 1941, Retaining Circles Associated with Stone Rows, Dartmoor, pg 233 fig.4 (Article in Serial). SDV251083.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, pg 295 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE32 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV219084.

(08/06/1950) Double stone row with cairn at eastern end with retaining circle.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, pg 213 (Monograph). SDV231148.

The remains of two stone rows with terminal tumuli.
A. A double stone row extending for about 450 feet in a north 76 degrees 30' east direction. At its eastern end is a barrow with a cairn circle of 29 foot 4 inches diameter.
B. A single stone row extending 165 feet in a north 58 degrees 30' east direction. At its eastern end is a barrow.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX57SE32 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV219205.

(08/07/1977) There is often confusion between this site at Black Tor, Meavy, and Black Tor, Avon. In the Transactions of the Devonshire Association Worth simply quotes Rowe's "Perambulations of Dartmoor" 1848, 168, without comment. Rowe's geographical location is correct but his descriptions of the rows is incorrect in some particulars: he states the rows are parallel and run east to west and implies that there are two cairn circles and two other cairns, evidently a duplication of description. Because of the differences Rowe's features are sometimes incorrectly assigned to Black Tor, Avon Valley, SX 6863.
Both rows are at 330m above sea level, on a slight south west slope, intersected near the north east ends by a deep east to west leat which has destroyed 8.0 to 10.0m of the rows.
A: The cairn, at SX 57717170, is 9.0m in diameter and 0.5m high with evidence of an excavation at the centre. It is encompassed by a cairn circle of fourteen stones up to 0.9m high. From here a double row extends for 122.0m in a west south west direction to SX 57587168. It retains some sixty-eight stones, the majority from 0.1m to 0.4m high with others up to 0.8m. Many have been removed and a few displaced stones lie in the row towards the west end which terminates on an area of tin streaming; it originally extended further.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, pg 174 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Visited 25/4/1973. Cairn, hollow towards centre; double stone row descends to west.

Emmett, D. D., 1979, Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered, pg 111 (Article in Serial). SDV251087.

Robinson, R., 1984, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1984 (Un-published). SDV343082.

Site visited 30/05/1984.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force /National Monuments Record aerial photographs.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130685 / 152535 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(01/08/1997) Double stone alignment 300m east-south-east of Black Tor at SX 5764 7169.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 58-9, 204, Map 46, Figure 46.5 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Har Tor '1' double stone row with the east end at SX57707170. The double row is well preserved apart from the loss of its lower end and where the tinners have cut back the bank of the Meavy.; the present length is 128 meters. In addition some comparatively minor damage has been caused by a ditch and a leat cutting across the alignment - as usual the tinners took pains to cause the minimum disruption and the displaced stones were neatly stacked to one side of the channel. The surviving portion has 60 pairs of stones of which 88 stones remain averaging 0.3 meters in height, the tallest being 0.8 meters in height. A circle of fourteen slabs 9.3 meters across surrounds the cairn at the upper end of the row.

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Hart Tor Stone Row (Personal Comment). SDV219215.

Notes of 22nd March 1995. Northern row, Harter tor group of 137 metres long by 1.5 metres wide running from SX57567176 to SX57727179.

Gerrard, S., 1999, Hart Tor Stone Rows and Cairns, 11 (Article in Serial). SDV360981.

The double stone row leads downslope and westward from a cairn which is surrounded by a ring of stones. The row consists of two parallel lines of stones which have been destroyed or damaged by activities related to tinworking. The row measures 122m long and is aligned at 259 degrees; the northern row has 45 stones and the southern row 47 stones. There is no evidence to suggest that the row was ever restored or excavated.

Gerrard, S., 1999, Hart Tor Stone Rows and Cairns, 9; fig 3 (Article in Serial). SDV360981.

Gerrard, S., 1999, Meavy Valley Archaeology. Interim Report for 1997, 22-23, figs 10-11 (Article in Serial). SDV225919.

The double row leads downslope and westward from a cairn and consists of two parallel lines of stone destroyed or damaged by tin working activity. Row includes a total of 93 stones; 46 in the northern row, 47 in the southern row. Row measures 122m long and is aligned at 259 degrees. Maximum distance separating the rows is 2.2m (minimum is 0.97m, average is 1.35m). Maximum stone height is 0.85m, minimum is 0.01m, average is 0.32m. Stones in the northern row are slightly shorter than those in the southern row. Maximum distance between stones is around 7m, although the largest gaps are the result of tin working activity.

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

(07/09/2007) The cairns with the double and single stone rows are well preserved. The end of the double row occurs at a steep tinners' cliff. The monuments lie on a slight slope in open moorland that is broken up by tinners' cuttings and leats. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-96 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 01/12/2019. Overall condition good. Photos X3 taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-96 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo 1: View looking 100° showing gorse outcrop at W end of row. Photo 2: View looking 080° showing erosion damage on path between stone rows. Photo 3: View looking 088° of E section of rows showing mainly grass with occasional moss/heather covering.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

Northern of two 'Stone Rows' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1020129 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

The northern alignment is orientated from east-north-east to west-south-west and includes a 122 metres long, double row of at least 93 upright stones, with an average height of 0.32 metres. The spacing of the stones is irregular and the distance between the rows varies between 1.5 metres and 2 metres. A cairn with an encircling kerb stands at the eatern end of the double stone alignment. The mound measures 6.8 metres in diameter and 0.4 metres high and the kerb includes 15 orthostats forming a ring with a diameter of 9 metres. A slight hollow in the centre of the mound suggests robbing or partial early excavation.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7517 - Survey of Hart Tor tin works
• EDV7526 - Survey of Har Tor Stone Rows and Cairns
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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