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Summary

One of a pair of large cairns south-east of Rippon Tor. It is located on a reave but probably predates it. A much spread and turf-covered cairn of up to 25 metres diameter, 87 metres south-east of Rippon Tor outcrop.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019603: Coaxial fields, prehistoric settlements and cairns on Halshanger and Horridge Commons, forming part of the Rippon Tor coaxial field system
• SHINE: Earthworks and stone walls of a Bronze Age parallel reave system on Mountsland, Halshanger and Horridge Commons, comprising the remains of a field system, hut circle settlements, enclosures and cairns, and surface remains of 19th century Hemsworthy Mine

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: MPP 152329
• National Monuments Record: SX77NW48
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445156
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NW/17
• Old SAM County Ref: 928
• Old SAM Ref: 28774
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX77NW48

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 628 (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

Tumuli near Rippon Tor.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1960-1961, SX77NW48 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV308321.

(20/04/1960) Cairn B at SX7474 7547 has been considerably mutilated in the eastern quadrant where it is barely 0.5 metres high; otherwise it is up to 3.0 metres high. A 25" survey of the cairns has been made.
('A'-SX 74717549; 'B'-SX 74747547) Cairns (NR) ('C'-SX 74687552; 'D'-SX 74657557) Cairns (NR).

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 142 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(Visited 28/9/1973) Cairn at SX74747546, diameter 25 metres, height 2.4 metres. Cairn dug into on east side, nearly reduced to ground level.

National Monuments Record, 1979, NMR SF1459, 97 (Aerial Photograph). SDV291903.

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

Visible and recorded.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., 152329 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visit 1999. Cairn 160 metres south-east of Rippon Tor summit at SX74797545.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume One - The East, 42, Fig. 5.3 (Monograph). SDV299725.

Butler's cairn 5 is a large cairn measuring around 20 metres in diameter, lying along a reave adjacent to another cairn (MDV13721).

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Cairn clearly visible on the aerial photography at the location indicated.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

Cairn is depicted on modern map.

Newman, P., 2013, An Archaeological Assessment of Halshanger and Horridge Commons, Dartmoor, Devon, 4, Table 1 (Report - Assessment). SDV356396.

One of two cairns both of which have been disturbed and probably robbed for stone over the centuries and, therefore, probably bear little resemblance to their original appearance. The cairn is located on the course of a reave and gives the appearance of having been built over it. However, it is more likely that the reave is later, halting at the cairn and recommencing on its other side. Condition declining.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

Part of the Rippon Tor coaxial field system. There are ten cairns within the monument, half of which stand at or near the summit of Rippon Tor. [One of] two cairns butted by a reave forming part of the Rippon Tor coaxial field system. 20m in diameter and 2.5m high.

Newman, P., 2015, Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, 48, figure 21 (Report - Survey). SDV359145.

Cairn 100 metres south-east of Rippon Tor. A much spread and turf-covered cairn of up to 25 metres diameter, 87 metres south-east of Rippon Tor outcrop. Condition is declining. SX74744 75476.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, RT4 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited January 2019. Turf covered slopes but fair condition. Photo taken

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, RT4 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited January 2019. Photo taken showing the turf slopes looking west north west

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6433 - Assessment of Halsanger Common, Horridge Common and Rippon Tor
• EDV6836 - Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape survey

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