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Summary

Eastern of two cairns with cists on Blakey Tor, south of Blackbrook River. This site is on the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Pair of prehistoric cairns with cists north of Royal Hill, south of the Blackbrook River

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Evidential): NI Sites
• National Monuments Record: SX67SW10
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443259
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/15

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Duchy of Cornwall, 1818, Map of Freehold and Early Enclosures of Dartmoor (Cartographic). SDV237263.

Prowse, A. B., 1901, The Antiquities of Ockery and Roundhill, Dartmoor, 499 (Article in Serial). SDV233834.

Cist, one of two on Blakey Tor, south of Blackbrook River. There are small remains of an enclosing barrow. The four side stones are massive and the coverstone measures 1.4 metres by 1.2 metres and rests obliquely against the north west corner. The long axis of the cist is aligned north-west by south-east.

Worth, R. H., 1912, 31st Report of the Barrow Committee, 84 (Article in Serial). SDV233835.

Worth, R. H., 1928, 47th Report of the Barrow Committee (Article in Serial). SDV345669.

Other details: Plate Vi, figure 3.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX67SW10 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV237366.

(02/09/1950) SX 6131 7355: Cist. Two side-stones and two end-stones remain in position. Cover stone lies at north-west corner of cist. No sign of retaining circle. Long axis of cist north-north-west by south-south-east. Condition good. Cist measures 0.9m x 0.5m x 0.3m deep.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 152 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(19/07/1974) Slight cairn enclosing cist, placed south-south-east by north-north-west, capstone to north-north-west. The cairn measures 6.4 metres in diameter and 0.3 metres in height. More easterly of two cists on Blakey Tor.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX67SW10 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV245951.

(21/01/1980) A cairn and cist lie on a north facing slope at 373m. OD. The cairn has a diameter of 4.5m. by 3.8m. and is 0.3m. high. The cist, aligned N/S, measures 0.95m. by 0.6m. and is 0.4m. deep with its coverstone to the NW see ground photograph.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 and at 1:2500 for AO Records.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force aerial photographs.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(01/02/1989) SX 61317355. This very well preserved cairn and cist is situated on the slight N slope of a rounded high point once known as Courton Tor (1818 map) at 373m OD and has extensive views on all but the S side. It lies amidst a scattered spread of large natural earthfast boulders on a rather uneven peat layer covered by close cropped moorland pasture.
The cairn is approximately 4.4m by 4.0m across and a maximum 0.3m high; stone protrudes through the turf but there is no trace of a kerb and its edges are rather ragged.
A reed-filled cist is set well into the cairn on a NNW-SSE axis. The intact chamber measures internally 0.95m long, a maximum 0.65m wide and 0.45m deep; the longest side slab is 1.4m by 0.3m by 0.45m and largest end slab 0.55m by 0.2m by 0.4m. The coverstone against the NW side of the cist is roughly oval in shape and measures 1.7m by 1.3m and a maximum 0.25m thick.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 230-232, Map 65, Figure 65.5 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Blakey Tor E. cairn at SX61307355 of 4.0 metres diameter by 0.2 metres high with a cist. The cover slab has been levered clear of the cist all four sides of which are in place but little remains of the mound.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Cairn shown on survey

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

'Cist' shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8628 - Tor Royal Farm Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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