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Summary

The Sherberton Stone Circle overlooks the Swincombe valley. It measures approximately 29.4 metres in diameter and has nine surviving erect stones which could have been preserved because they were too small for reuse. These range in height from 0.3 to 0.74 metres and in width from 0.3 to 0.6 metres.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002535: Sherberton stone circle 315m SSE of Little Sherberton

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SW23
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443298
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/48
• Old SAM County Ref: 463
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67SW23

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1939, Two Stone Circles on Dartmoor, Swincombe Valley, and West Dart Valley, with a note on the Grey Wethers, 321-3, Plate 17, figure 1. (Article in Serial). SDV344944.

Sherberton stone circle (diameter 30 metres) in the Swincombe Valley above Little Sherberton. It occupies a commanding position on a crest of a ridge at an elevation of approximately 335 metres. Nine stones are still erect and in place, one stone erect but probably slightly displaced, and two fallen stones. About 2/3 of the circumference is occupied by the stones. The stones in place are small, average height around 0.6 metres. The circle has been robbed to make the adjoining fences. One stone fence cuts off segment of the circle to the west no trace of barrow or cairn.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1980, SX67SW23 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV234058.

Sherberton Circle. Stone circle diameter 30m. In the Swincombe Valley above Little Sherberton. It occupies a commanding position on a crest of a ridge at an elevation of c.335m. Nine stones are still erect and in place, one stone erect but probably slightly displaced, and two fallen stones. About 2/3 of the circumference is occupied by the stones. The stones in place are small, average height c.600mm. The circle has been robbed to make the adjoining fences. One stone fence cuts off segment of the circle to the west no trace of barrow or cairn (Worth, R. H., 1939, TDA, Vol 71, 321-3).
Some of the stones of the circle are used as a gatepost in the wall. Baring-Gould told reported to Ordnance Survey recorder that he found resident of Sherberton Farm removing stones from the circle. This ceased when Baring-Gould explained the value of the circle to him (citing H. H. Breton, undated).
(03/08/1950) Description by Worth is accurate.
(16/01/1980) On a slight south slope at 331m. OD are the remains of Sherberton Circle (name confirmed). It measures 29.8m. in diameter, with stones set upright and averaging 0.7m. in height. The supposed fallen stones have the appearance of natural in situ boulders fortuitously placed and unearthed. (see ground photograph) Otherwise the stone circle is as described and planned by Worth.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:2500 for AO Records.

Ministry of Works, 1961, Sherberton stone circle north of Swincombe (Schedule Document). SDV234055.

Stone circle, on crest of hill, south-west of Bellever Tor, East Dart. 11 stones remaining; robbed. The circle is crossed by remains of an old stone wall, and has been robbed to build this, nothing visible west of the wall.

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 254 (Monograph). SDV337618.

Other details: Figure 82, plate 51.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 347 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Nine stones remain standing at Sherberton circle; 2 large stones are fallen. The western segment of the circle is bisected by a reave.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV345762.

(Site visited 13/5/1983) Field Monument Warden visit.

National Monuments Record, 1983, NMR SF2134, 0116 (Aerial Photograph). SDV247915.

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

Visible and recorded.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

(Site visited 30/7/1986) Field Monument Warden visit.

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

(12/07/1988) SX 63937317. The Sherberton Stone Circle occupies a slight south slope at 329m OD and is situated just off the crest of a broad ridge. It overlooks, to the south the wide Swincombe valley and the moors beyond but to the north the view is restricted to the distant high tors by the rising ground of the ridge-top. The vistas to the east and west are also limited by rising ground.
The c. 29.4m diameter circle lies on the angle of two field walls; one, which cuts across its western side, is now a rather ragged line of boulders and stones with a vague shallow ditch on its east side. The ground surface, composed of a thick peat layer and close-cropped moorland pasture, is relatively stone-free and the area is pockmarked by shallow undulations and amorphous erosion gullies.
The nine surviving erect stones which could have been preserved because they were too small for reuse (see Breton, undated) range in height from 0.3m to 0.74m and in width from 0.3m to 0.6m. Four are small slabs and the remainder are squarish rounded blocks; six appear to be grouped in pairs and one set almost at right angles to the line of the circle.
The impressive 'kite-shaped' upright slab incorporated in the boulder wall to the NW of the circle is a maximum 1.45m in height and 1.65m in width. Its origin and purpose are unclear however although it is not on the line of the circle it is probably an integral part of the monument and may not have been displaced as suggested by Worth.
The two recumbent slabs in the southern segment of the circle measure 2.7m by 1.0m by 0.2m thick and 2.35m by 1.0m by 0.55m thick respectively. They are composed of a courser granite than their neighbours and they lie in a shallow depression which was probably caused by water erosion or livestock movement. They appear, on first sight, to be unrelated to the other stones because of their size and general form however if as suggested some uprights were robbed for reuse as gateposts then it is not unreasonable to deduce that these large stones would not have been out of place in the circle.
An almost completely buried boulder located on the west side of the boulder wall and more or less on the line of the circle might simply be a natural sub-surface feature. No socket holes or other buried boulders were detected by probing between the stones.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 55, 60, 80 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Stone circle 29.5 meters in diameter. 11 stones standing. Isolated site within a natural amphitheatre. One axis on low ridge, other on saddle. Other details: G5.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 217-8, Map 63, Figure 63.4 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Sherberton Stone Circle of 29.6 metres diameter. Only a fraction of the original number of stones remain in place mostly around the north-west quadrant. Nine not very impressive slabs with an average height of 0.65 metres are visible. A much larger block 1.5 metres high has been turned sideways and incorporated into the field wall that bisects the circle to the south-east. Two more monoliths 2.1 and 2.7 metres long lie on the eastern perimeter. Intervals between the stones are very variable from 1.5 to 2.5 metres and consequently the original number of stones is uncertain. There are no socket holes visible and the interior is flat and apparently undisturbed.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

'Stone circle' depicted on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8632 - Sherberton Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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