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Summary

Cairn with retaining circle and cist on Royal Hill known as the "Crock of Gold". This site is on the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Prehistoric cairn with retaining circle and cist on Royal Hill known as the "Crock of Gold", measuring 7 metres in diameter

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Historical): NI Site
• National Monuments Record: SX67SW38
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443343
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/61
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX67SW38

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN CIRCLE (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

Burnard, R., 1890, Notes on Dartmoor Kistvaens, 204-205 (Article in Serial). SDV265355.

A cist, known as "Crock of Gold" surrounded by the remains of a 10 ft diameter cairn circle (Plan). Its cover-stone has been displaced. Burnard commented that the circle was "fairly well preserved" and there were "distinct remains of a barrow".

Burnard, R., 1895, Dartmoor Kistvaens, 163 (Monograph). SDV249696.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 116 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

Cist with all four sides in place. The coverstone lies inside of and touching the surrounding circle, which is now incomplete. Worth

Worth, R. H., 1908, 27th Report of the Barrow Committee, 85, figure (Article in Serial). SDV265354.

Worth, R. H., 1928, 47th Report of the Barrow Committee, 77 (Article in Serial). SDV345669.

Other details: Figure 2. Plate VI, Figure 1.

Worth, R. H., 1937, 56th Report of the Barrow Committee, 85 (Article in Serial). SDV20973.

Other details: Figure.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1980, SX67SW38 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV345670.

(17/04/1950) Kistvaen with cairn measuring 4.0 metres in diameter, and 0.2 metres in height and retaining circle. Condition very good. The cist lies east by north to south by west, and measures 0.8 metres by 0.5 metres by 0.3 metres, with the coverstone lying to the north-west. The retaining circle is very clear at the south but much overgrown to the north.
(14/01/1980) The 'Crock of Gold' (name confirmed) is a cairn with a kerb and
cist as planned. The cairn is 7.2m. by 6.2m. and 0.7m. high. The incomplete kerb within measures 4.1m in diameter, and the central cist aligned NW/SE, measures 0.8m. by 0.5m. and 0.7m. deep. (See ground photograph).
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:2500 for AO Records.

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

Cairn with retaining circle and central cist, measuring 4.3 meters in diameter, placed south-east to north-west, with a capstone to the north-west. Visited 19/07/1974.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 375 (Monograph). SDV249702.

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

Not visible on the Royal Air Force aerial photographs.

Griffiths, D., 1986, Site visit to view reported damage at cist site (Site Visit). SDV344938.

Following a report of damage by R. Robinson (Field Monument Warden) a site visit was undertaken to view damage. A hole measuring 0.63 meters east-west, 0.46 meters north-south and 0.18 meters deep had been dug into the cist known as the Crock of Gold. The cist measures 0.76 by 0.50 meters. At approximately 0.70 meters below the top of the cist, a black, grainy, iron-stained soil was encountered, which is likely to be peat. Light brown decayed granite was seen below this layer; apparently the natural bottom of the hole, which was water-filled. This hole was dug well below the original bottom of the cist, which appears to have been emptied at some point in the past. Other details: Slides also taken.

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

(09/02/1989) The cairn and cist, named Crock of Gold, at SX 61287306, is on a shelf on a NE hillslope of moorland pasture.
The cairn, 7m in overall diameter and 0.3m high, has a flattish top with a retaining circle set 1m to 1.5m within the perimeter. This consists of six earthfast boulders, about 0.4m across and protruding a similar height above the cairn. Two displaced stones are 1m long, 0.5m wide and 0.2m thick.
A central cist is oriented NW to SE. Internally it is 0.8m long, 0.4m wide at the NW end, 0.5m at the SE, and 0.7m deep. The side slabs are 1m long and respectively 0.15m and 0.25m thick; the end slabs, 0.5m long and 0.1m thick. The capstone, moved to the W, is 1.3m long, 1.1m wide and 0.15m thick and now rests against the kerb.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 72 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Ring setting measuring 3.3 meters in diameter internally, around central cist. Other details: D17.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 229-230, Map 65, Figures 65.3 & 65.3.1 (Monograph). SDV337765.

'Crock of Gold' cairn at SX61287306 of 4.0 metres diameter by 0.3 metres high with a small cist that has been cleared out sometime in the past, with capstone lying to one side but with side and end slabs still in place. Five stones of the kerb retaining circle of circa 4.0 metres diameter which originally edged 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.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

'Crock of Gold 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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