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Summary

Cairn on Piles Hill south of Piles Hill stone row. Stony mound of 14 metres by 11 metres and 1.2 metres high with a central hollow of 5 metres diameter by 0.9 metres deep which may be for stone extraction or an unrecorded excavation. Geophysical survey in Spring 2022 detected an encircling outer ring surrounding this cairn.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012466: Cairn on Piles Hill
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of the early 20th century China Clay works at Redlake Mine and the associated railway, as well as prehistoric remains on Ugborough Moor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SE52
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441925
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SE/36
• Old SAM Ref: 10560

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

'Tumulus' shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX66SE52 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV178000.

(12/04/1950) A cairn, 13.5m diameter and 1.1m high. Very dilapidated with a large hollow in the centre.

National Monuments Record, 1969, NMR SX6463, 1/28-48 (Aerial Photograph). SDV165976.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX66SE52 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV177999.

(20/07/1977) A cairn 12.5m in diameter and 1.1m high situated on Piles Hill at about 385m above O.D. There is an eccentric hollow in the mound, 4.0m across and 1.0m deep probably from excavation, but both the hollow and the mound are now mostly turf-covered. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on P.F.D.

Hankin, C. F., 1977-1980, Harford Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV149931.

(08/06/1976) The ground is rough grass on granite. The cairn has wall like sides partly covered with overgrowth. The centre is hollow. Diameter (total spread) 12m - 14m, diameter (top of wall) 4.3m, height 1m - 1.5m. Size of stones in wall c.40cm - 60cm (longest dimension). Altitude c.387m. (08/06/1976) The ground is rough grass on granite. The cairn has wall like sides partly covered with overgrowth. The centre is hollow. Diameter (total spread) 12m - 14m, diameter (top of wall) 4.3m, height 1m - 1.5m. Size of stones in wall c.40cm - 60cm (longest dimension). Altitude c.387m.

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

(23/06/1973) Cairn with large hollow centre. Diameter 13.7m, height 1.2m.

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

Visible on 1969 aerial photograph.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 64, 245, Map 54, Figure 54.22 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Piles Hill N. cairn '2' at SX65326099 of 14 metres diameter by 1.2 metres high to the south of 'Piles Hill double stone row' near the summit of the hill.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UG34 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited in 2017 prior to this project starting; not revisited. Condition assessed as very good.

Riley, H., 2021, Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Landscape, Harford and Ugborough, 12, 7.1.7 (Report - Survey). SDV364697.

One of fifty cairns recorded during survey

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

'Cairn' shown on modern mapping.

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

Visited on 26th April 2021, surveyed and photographed. Cairn on Piles Hill: stony mound, 14 metres north to south, 11 metres east to west, 1.2 metres high, central hollow 5 metres diameter, 0.9 metres deep may be stone extraction or unrecorded excavation.

Edwards, M. + Trick, S., 2022, An archaeological magnetometer and resistance survey Land at Piles Hill Stone Row Centred on NGR: 265524,061055 (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV364932.

Resistance survey convincing detected a low-resistance ring around this cairn; likely encircling ditch. Magnetic survey detected a short arcing anomaly west of the cairn, which may or may not be related.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8770 - Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Lanscape, Harford and Ugborough
• EDV8817 - Geophysical survey of Piles Hill Stone Row and cairns, Ugborough (Ref: 2111-PIL-R-1)

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