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Summary

Northern of two cairns south-west of Raddick Hill summit of 6.8 metres in diameter and 0.4 metres high with a cist

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007427: Two round cairns 140m south-west of Raddick Hill summit

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE39
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440137
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/75/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 933A
• Old SAM Ref: 22300(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1899, 18th Report of the Barrow Committee, 98 plate 4 (Article in Serial). SDV339157.

Two barrows examined in 1899:
A. A barrow, 16 feet diameter and 1 feet 3 ins high, with a central cist containing charcoal. (Sketch of elevation).
B. A barrow, 22 feet diameter and 3 feet high, with a central cist. No portable finds.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 113, 114, 115, 122, 131, fig. on pg 114 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

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

Two 'Cairns' shown on early 20th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SE39, A (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV363404.

(08/06/1950) SX 5781 7098. Cairn A, diameter 5.6m, height 0.4m. Turf covered, hollow in centre.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 171, fig.52. (Monograph). SDV231148.

Royal Air Force, 1964, 58/6399, 041-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV225273.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX57SE39, Cairn B (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV277724.

Cairn B: SX 5782 7098. A poorly-defined cairn 4.7m in diameter and 0.3m high. No cist or stones of a cist can be seen save the top edge of a probable side-stone, 1.1m long and 0.5m thick, which is leaning on edge between the two cairns. Both features are on a broad flat ridge at 380m OD. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

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

(25/04/1973 and 04/06/1977) Cairn with hollow towards centre, excavated north-north-west, had been previously robbed and capstone missing; large slab on south-east margin of mound may in fact be this capstone. Diameter 6.0m, height 0.6m.

National Monuments Record, 1982, NMR SF2112, 1272 (Aerial Photograph). SDV345548.

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

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

Only one of these cairns is visible on the aerial photographs; it is not possible to ascertain which one it is.

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

(1993) Cairn mound 7.3m diameter, 0.9m high. A hollow in the centre of the mound, measuring 1.2m long by 1m wide and 0.2m deep, is probably the result of a partial excavation in 1898 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee. This work revealed a previously robbed cist. A second cairn lies 1m to the south-east of this mound and a large flat stone lying between the mounds may be the capstone from this cairn.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 61, 208, Map 46 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Raddick Hill Summit cairn '2' at SX57827098 of 6.8 metres diameter by 0.4 metres high with a cist. Two insignificant mounds close together were once more substantial and contained cists which are grassed over. The cist in the northern cairn had already been exposed and during excavation Burnard found nothing.

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

(06/09/2007) The two small cairns lie in moorland grass on a ridge-top that has stunning vistas notably to the south. Both have been heavily disturbed - the larger of the two with a marked depression in the top. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-115 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 23/12/2019. Overall condition very good. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-115 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 160° showing grass/moss/whortleberry cover.

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

Northern of two 'Cairns' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1007427 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

This monument includes two round cairns aligned SE-NW situated on the southern edge of Raddick Hill plateau overlooking the valley of the River Meavy. The north-western cairn mound measures 7.3 metres in diameter and stands up to 0.9 metres high. A hollow in the centre of the mound is probably the result of a partial excavation in 1898 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee. This work revealed a previously robbed cist. The second cairn mound lies 1 metres south-east of the first and measures 6 metres in diameter and stands up to 0.4 metres high. A slight central hollow indicates the location of the 1898 excavation, which revealed that the cairn was formed by small stones overlying a pit dug into the subsoil which contained a cist filled with charcoal and earth. The cist itself consisted of sloping side stones covered by small slabs. A large flat stone lying between the mounds may be the capstone from the western cairn.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8432 - Excavation of cairns on Raddick Hill

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