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Summary

Five enclosures with hut circles and a group of open hut circles on the east side of Small Brook to the west of White Hill

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1015760: A prehistoric settlement complex, length of reave, tin streamwork and stamping mill on the western slopes of Cosdon Hill
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of an extensive area of medieval or later tin working on both sides of the River Taw at Taw Marsh as well as Taw Marsh Bronze Age reave on South Tawton Common

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX69SW18
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444169
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SW/20
• Old SAM Ref: 28800.03

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Prowse, A. B., 1890, Notes on the Neighbourhood of Taw Marsh, North Dartmoor, 190-191, Figure 5 (Article in Serial). SDV239781.

Four groups of hut circles and enclosures on White Hill. Pound 'C' on steep grassy slope overlooking Taw Marsh. In a broadly oval space surrounded by a bank of earth and stones. Five of the hut circles touch the bank, others near centre of space which is much overgrown. 91 metres west of Pound 'C' is another irregularly ovoid space surrounded by a similar bank, which on the south-west side takes in a portion of the steep gully of Metheral Brook. Pound 'B' in figure 5. Near centre of enclosure is a large hut circle, and two smaller ones near it. Two other huts touch the bank. Pound 'A' is 55 metres north-west of Pound 'B'. No circles within the enclosure, but a circle interrupts the bank at the north-west side. Hut circle built against the north-north-west side of this circle. Two fallen menhirs onsouth-east side which may have marked the entrance. A strip of boggy ground runs between Pounds 'A' and 'B', on south side of which are two hut circles. From south part of Pound 'A' low bank of earth and stones runs nearly due south for 38 metres. As far as the boggy ground, where it ends in a circle. 20 metres west of Pound 'A' is a bank which runs due north, from Metheral Brook for 512 metres Then north by east fo 474 metres ending in a boggy depression on the west slope of Cosdon. Circle interrupts the bank about 64 metres north of Pound 'A'. 27 metres nearer the pound is a smaller circle close to the bank. Two others 91 metres east by north of the circle aph; hut circles and separate enclosures. There is a linear bank to the north and west of this site. neighbourhood of Taw Marsh.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX69SW18, SX69SW18, Sketch plans (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV222053.

Visited on 9th August 1950. Five enclosures with hut circles, and a group of open hut circles. A complex series of simple enclosures and hut circles situated amongst the clitter between White Hill and Small Brook.

West Air Photography, 1975, BT1709, 11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV269938.

Photograph taken in November 1975.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX6290, 2 & 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV222054.

Photograph taken on 18th May 1977.

National Monument Record, 1979, SF1510, 559-559 & 359-373 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224088.

Photograph taken on 26th April 1979.

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

Five large enclosures, two of them agglomerated, are visible, together with three smaller enclosures. In all, there are forty-one enclosed and unenclosed hut circles in this group.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 201-2, Map 40, Figures 40.1 &40.2 (Monograph). SDV219155.

The five lower Small Brook enclosures are all single containing from one to nine hut circles. The circuit walls were never very substantial with widths of 1 to 1.2 metres. To the south of these enclosures is an unenclosed group of about 20 hut circles.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

Enclosures and hut circles shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1015760 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

This monument includes an extensive prehistoric settlement complex, a length of the Taw Marsh territorial reave and an eluvial tin streamwork, together with two reservoirs, a leat and stamping mill. Most of the settlement complex lies on the eastern side of the Taw Marsh reave and survives as clusters of both enclosed and unenclosed stone hut circles. A total of at least 54 stone hut circles survive as stone and earth banks surrounding an oval or circular shaped internal area. There are four discrete clusters, the largest of which is adjacent to the reave and includes at least 22 hut circles, two simple and one agglomerated enclosure. Within this cluster six of the huts are unenclosed. A short distance to the east lies a further simple enclosure containing five stone hut circles. A further hut is linked to the enclosure wall and another lies just outside its perimeter. South of this enclosure lies another simple oval shaped enclosure which contains three stone hut circles. To the east of this enclosure lies the fourth element of this settlement complex and this survives as a cluster of at least 19 unenclosed and three partially enclosed stone hut circles. The settlement complex extends to the west of the Taw Marsh reave and here it survives as a cluster of 32 stone hut circles, six of which are connected to fragmentary lengths of boundary wall.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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