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Summary

Northern of a row of four barrows on Soussons Down known as 'The Red Barrows' survives as flat topped 10 metres diameter mound standing up to 0.5 metres high

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021189: Four round barrows on Soussons Down, 960m north west of Soussons

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NE3
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442450
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/28
• Old SAM County Ref: 890A
• Old SAM Ref: 28696

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Northern of a row of four 'Tumuli' shown on 19th century map.

Baring Gould, S., 1898, Fifth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 98 (Article in Serial). SDV337066.

Group of cairns on Soussons Warren Hill described as 'four fine tumuli', although Baring Gould states they show some signs of having been dug into; although this may be in part due to animal burrowing. These features should be investigated.

Worth, R. H., 1903, 22nd Report of the Barrow Committee, 140-142 (Article in Serial). SDV288725.

A group of four tumuli excavated in 1902. Numbered from south to north:
4. A cairn 26 feet diameter and "a few inches" high. No finds.

Baring Gould, S., 1903, Ninth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 143-5 (Article in Serial). SDV343488.

A group of four barrows or cairns, situated on the high ground ground of Soussons (or Southsands) Common, near Postbridge were excavated by the Committee in August 1902. They lie in a line (north-south) and are numbered 1-4 from south to north. Baring Gould records they had been seriously damaged by animal burrowing and stone robbing.

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

Row of four 'Tumuli' shown on early 20th century map.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/540, 3148-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV285230.

Photograph taken on 1st June 1950.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX67NE3, SX67NE3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV288775.

One of a group of 4 barrows on Soussons Down. On the highest point of the hill. All heather covered and in a clearing in the planted pine forest.

Dartmoor National Park Authority + Forestry Commission + Dartmoor Preservation Association, 1976, Conservation of Ancient Monuments. The Report of a Working Party, Spooner/Dixon Report (Report - non-specific). SDV248248.

(1976) Cairn, not included in 1955 Spooner/Dixon report. Site 4b in Soussons Plantation, Warren Hill in DNP field report. North-north-east of site 3b. Heather covered. Has been investigated, not planted over. Present clearance adequate.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 155 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(14/10/1975) in clearing, cairn excavated by Baring-gould with no results.

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

One visible on 1950 aerial photograph.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 149027 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(03/07/1998) at SX 67707964, the northern of four round barrows on Soussons Down. Diameter 10m, height 0.5m. Flat topped mound covered in bilberry and grass. The top has several slight undulations and one small fresh animal burrow. Lies 2m from the next mound to the south.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 18-19, Map 24, Figure 24.2 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Red Barrows cairn '4' at SX67697969 of 10.0 metres diameter by 0.4 metres high is the most northerly of the four barrows. It is a small cairn with a flat uneven surface. The excavation report of 1902 dismisses this cairn as a 'mere heap of stones a few inches above ground level'.

Cartographic Engineering, 2006, Dartmoor 2006 1:1250 Aerial Photography (digital) (Aerial Photograph). SDV345590.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Environment Agency WMS, 2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362956.

Visible on Lidar data.

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

Northern of four 'Tumuli' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1021189 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

The monument includes four round barrows situated on a ridge separating the valleys of the East Dart and West Webburn Rivers. The northern barrow survives as flat topped 10 metres diameter mound standing up to 0.5 metres high.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7390 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7402 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7431 - Woodland Survey (1989-90) at Bellever, Soussons and other woodland parcels
• EDV8481 - Red Barrows, Soussons Down
• EDV7421 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.