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HER Number:MDV5655
Name:Corringdon Ball multiple stone rows, Glasscombe, Ugborough

Summary

Corringdon Ball stone rows; six or seven rows of small stones. Originally thought by R. N. Worth (1892) and Crossing (1912/1965) as a sevenfold row, but later argued by Handsford Worth (1946) to be two treble rows. Rows lie to the south-east of the northernmost, single row. Complex of stone rows, stone settings and cairns at Corringdon Ball. A single stone row and several linear alignments of small upright stones and stone stubs. Two cairns and two stone alignments lie at the north-east end of the rows. Two cairns and three irregular stone alignments lie to the north-west of the rows. A mound lies on the south-west side of rows. A well-trodden path runs through the alignment making the small stones vulnerable to damage.

Location

Grid Reference:SX 666 611
Map Sheet:SX66SE
Admin AreaDartmoor National Park
Civil ParishUgborough
DistrictSouth Hams
Ecclesiastical ParishUGBOROUGH

Protected Status

Other References/Statuses

  • Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SE/3
  • Old SAM County Ref: 371
  • Old SAM Ref: 10569
  • SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Lukis, W. C. + Pode, J. D., 1880, Unpublished 'Plan of two Monuments on the Moor outside Glazecombe Moor Wall between the East and West Glazebrooks, Dartmoor', 21 (Plan - measured). SDV142516.

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

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 380 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Worth, R. H., 1946, The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1, 312-314, Plate 40 (Article in Serial). SDV251172.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX66SE43 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV350960.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 231-2 (Monograph). SDV337618.

It was usual to describe this as a seven or eightfold row. Surveyed in 1946 revealing one single and two treble rows, with two stones clear of all the rows, but pointing directly to the centre of the retaining circle which heads the two treble rows. Rows numbered:57, 58 and 59.

Davidson, C. + Seabrook, R., 1973, Stone Rings on south-east Dartmoor, 26, plan (Article in Serial). SDV345864.

Gaskell-Brown, C. + Hankin, C., 1974 -1978, Ugborough Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV161354.

National Monuments Record, 1977, NMR SX6660, 6/309 (Aerial Photograph). SDV176911.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 171 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

Emmett, D. D., 1979, Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered, 106, 111 (Article in Serial). SDV251087.

Robinson, R. + Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, Two Unrecorded Prehistoric Multiple Stone Rings, Glasscombe, Ugborough, South Dartmoor (Article in Serial). SDV142714.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/CW, 9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV320796.

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

Site visit 12th June 1984.

Ancient Monuments, 1990, Scheduling documentation (Schedule Document). SDV312418.

Corringdon Ball stone rows. Six or seven rows of small stones approximately 75 metres long, terminating at the east end in a small semi-circular stone setting of five stones, none more than 500 millimetres high, and the alignments are irregular - they run along the contours. Situated on the open moor between the East and West Glaze Brooks. A complicated set of stones which can only be aligned into rows by exact survey. The direction of the rows is approximately south-west.

Robinson, R. + Griffiths, D. + Cosford, J., 1990, The Corringdon Multiple Stone Rows: A Resurvey, 179-185 (Article in Serial). SDV142469.

1990 resurvey shows the multiple rows to extend as far as the single row, itself now traceable for nearly 200 metres. Less complete at south-west end. This is probably a composite sevenfold row rather than a single row and two triples. The convergence of rows towards south-west ends shown on plans of Worth and Lukis and Pode is less clear on 1990 plan; and the bending of multiple rows towards the single row is absent.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 91-2, 242, Map 56, Figure 56.8 (Monograph). SDV337765.

'Corringdon Ball '1' with the upper end at SX66666120 stone row includes seven stone rows. At the east end the three north rows are spaced about 1 metre apart increasing to 3 metres on either side of the central row and about 1.5 metres between the three south rows. Westwards the rows curve slightly uphill but the southern rows converge towards this end. Rows five and six seem to combine a third of the wayy slong but the arrangement is far from clear. At the better preserved north-east end the stones are set at fairly constant intervals of 2.0 metres and care was taken to align them across the rows though at few points are all seven members now visible.

Quinnell, N. V., 1995, Comment about features at Corringdon Ball (Personal Comment). SDV142725.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

Multiple stone alignment and associated cairns west of Glasscombe Upper Plantation.
Reasons for Designation: Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in Southern Britain and because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country. The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provides direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains gives significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time. Stone alignments provide rare evidence of ceremonial or ritual practices on the Moor during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age. The complex of alignments near Glasscombe Upper Plantation is unusual and particularly significant as it is connected with a group of cairns and the remains of cairns (retaining kerbs) at the north-eastern end and with a further complex of stone settings and cairns on the far bank of the East Glaze Brook. There are also several other settlements and funerary monuments in the vicinity.
Details: Stone alignments or stone rows consist of upright stones set in a single line or in two or more parallel lines, up to several hundred metres in length. They frequently lead to burial monuments such as small cairns, cists and barrows and are therefore thought to have had a ceremonial function. The 70 or so examples known on Dartmoor were probably constructed in the Late Neolithic period (around 2500 BC) This complex of multiple stone alignments, cairns and remains of cairns lies on the west bank of the East Glaze Brook north-west of Glasscombe Upper Plantation. The stone rows follow the main contour and are aligned roughly north-east/south-west, with five cairns at the northern end. There are seven, or possibly eight rows, the possible eighth being represented by two stones 25m apart between the two triple rows and aligned with the centre of their terminal cairn. The northernmost row is single and is 157m in length, with stones standing up to 0.64m in height. The spacing between stones is very irregular, the terminal cairn at the north end is 8m in diameter and 0.5m in height. There are two shorter triple rows south of it, both terminating at the north-eastern end at a cairn retaining kerb, the first triple row is 7.8m in length and the southernmost is 66m in length and again the spacings are irregular. This and the variation in length may be due to robbing for the newtake. The cairn retaining kerb at the north end of the triple rows is a semi-circle 14m in diameter, with five stones up to 0.5m in height. Two sets of concentric rings of stones (retaining kerbs) at the northern end are 14m and 23m in diameter. The adjacent cairn is 8m in diameter and 0.5m in height.

Perrin, R., 2016, Ugborough Parish Heritage Appraisal Second Edition, UG 618 (Report - Assessment). SDV360390.

As above.

Riley, H., 2021, Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Landscape, Harford and Ugborough, 10, 7.1.5, Figures 14 & 15 (Report - Survey). SDV364697.

Corringdon Ball stone alignments. Alignment of small stones and cairns between the West Glaze Brook and the East Glaze Brook to the south of the long mortuary enclosure. One single row and several linear stone alignments are associated with four cairns, a circular stone alignment, six upright stones in a curving alignment and three rather irregular arrangements of small upright stones.

Riley, H., 2021, UG21 heritage asset database and gazetteer of sites (Report - Survey). SDV364699.

Visited on 29th April 2021, surveyed and photographed. Complex of stone rows, stone settings and cairns at Corringdon Ball: single stone row and several linear alignments of small upright stones and stone stubs; two cairns and two stone alignments lie at the north-east end of the rows; two cairns and three irregular stone alignments lie to the north-west of the rows; mound lies on the south-west side of rows. A well-trodden path runs through the alignment making the small stones vulnerable to damage.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV142469Article in Serial: Robinson, R. + Griffiths, D. + Cosford, J.. 1990. The Corringdon Multiple Stone Rows: A Resurvey. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Exploration Society. 48. Unknown. 179-185.
SDV142516Plan - measured: Lukis, W. C. + Pode, J. D.. 1880. Unpublished 'Plan of two Monuments on the Moor outside Glazecombe Moor Wall between the East and West Glazebrooks, Dartmoor'. Unknown. 21.
SDV142714Article in Serial: Robinson, R. + Greeves, T. A. P.. 1981. Two Unrecorded Prehistoric Multiple Stone Rings, Glasscombe, Ugborough, South Dartmoor. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 39. Paperback Volume.
SDV142725Personal Comment: Quinnell, N. V.. 1995. Comment about features at Corringdon Ball. Not Applicable.
SDV161354Worksheet: Gaskell-Brown, C. + Hankin, C.. 1974 -1978. Ugborough Parish Checklist. Parish Checklist. Digital.
SDV176911Aerial Photograph: National Monuments Record. 1977. NMR SX6660. National Monuments Record Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 6/309.
SDV237176Article in Serial: Worth, R. N.. 1892. The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 24. Digital.
SDV251087Article in Serial: Emmett, D. D.. 1979. Stone Rows: The Traditional View Reconsidered. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 37. Paperback Volume. 106, 111.
SDV251172Article in Serial: Worth, R. H.. 1946. The Stone Rows of Dartmoor. Part 1. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 78. A5 Hardback. 312-314, Plate 40.
SDV273224Article in Serial: Grinsell, L. V.. 1978. Dartmoor Barrows. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 36. A5 Paperback. 171.
SDV312418Schedule Document: Ancient Monuments. 1990. Scheduling documentation. The Schedule of Monuments. Unknown.
SDV320796Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/CW. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 9.
SDV320981Monograph: Crossing, W.. 1912 (1965). Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor. Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor. Hardback Volume. 380.
SDV337618Monograph: Worth, R. H.. 1967. Worth's Dartmoor. Worth's Dartmoor. A5 Hardback. 231-2.
SDV337765Monograph: Butler, J.. 1993. Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East. Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East. Four. Paperback Volume. 91-2, 242, Map 56, Figure 56.8.
SDV343082Un-published: Robinson, R.. 1984. List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1984. Lists of Field Monument Warden Visits. Printout.
SDV345864Article in Serial: Davidson, C. + Seabrook, R.. 1973. Stone Rings on south-east Dartmoor. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 31. Paperback Volume. 26, plan.
SDV350960Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1950. SX66SE43. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV359353National Heritage List for England: Historic England. 2016. National Heritage List for England. Historic Houses Register. Digital.
SDV360390Report - Assessment: Perrin, R.. 2016. Ugborough Parish Heritage Appraisal Second Edition. Ugborough Local History Group. A4 Bound. UG 618.

Associated Monuments

MDV14802Parent of: Corringdon Ball B stone alignments, Ugborough (Monument)
MDV5658Parent of: Corringdon Ball C stone alignments, South Brent (Monument)
MDV129966Related to: Cairn at north-east end of the Corringdon Ball Stone Rows (Monument)
MDV129969Related to: Cairn at north-east end of the Corringdon Ball Stone Rows (Monument)
MDV15961Related to: Cairns at the north-east end of the Corringdon Ball Stone Rows, Ugborough (Monument)
MDV5656Related to: Corringdon Ball A stone alignment, South Brent (Monument)
MDV15960Related to: Multiple ring features at Corringdon Ball, Glasscombe (Monument)
MDV129970Related to: Ritual complex of cairns and ring circles at the north-east end of the Corringdon Ball Stone Rows, Ugborough (Monument)
MDV5827Related to: Treeland Brake Stone Row (now destroyed) (Monument)

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

  • EDV8476 - Excavation at Corringdon Ball
  • EDV8770 - Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Lanscape, Harford and Ugborough

Date Last Edited:Feb 8 2022 11:49AM