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Summary

Buckland Beacon, probable tor cairn. The tor outcrop is surrounded by small, turf-covered stones indicating a possible tor cairn. Condition is mostly stable but subject to visitor erosion. Inscribed stone with the ten commandments on the south-eastern side of the outcrop. Beacon fires were lit here for centuries; the most recent in 1995.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a Bronze Age parallel reave system on Buckland Common and Blackslade Down, including prehistoric hut circle settlements and cairns, medieval and later remains

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX77SW8
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445266
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77SW/7
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX77SW8

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BEACON (Unknown date)
• TOR CAIRN? (Early Bronze Age to XVII - 2200 BC? to 1700 AD)

Full description

Page, J. L. W., 1895, An Exploration of Dartmoor and its Antiquities, with some account of its borders, with some account of its borders, 230 (Monograph). SDV344985.

Land held by charter. Page describes the "knob" of the beacon as a "mixed mass of turf and granite" largely natural, but added to, to form "a convenient cairn" it commands the Teign estuary and the Dart.
On an accompanying plan the beacon is marked as pre-Elizabethan but the text contains no supporting evidence.

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1932, The Place-Names of Devon: Part Two, 525 (Monograph). SDV337894.

Buckland in the Moor is recorded as 'Bochelanda' in 1086 (Domesday Book), 'Bocland' in 1242, 'Bokelaund in the More' in 1318, 'Boklonde Inthemore' in 1334 and 'Bokelond in La More' in 1378.

Russell, P., 1955, Fire Beacons in Devon, 287 (Article in Serial). SDV336138.

A beacon fire, one of a chain lit here by the parishioners of Buckland in the Moor in celebration of their Majesties Silver Jubilee, May 6th, 1935. There is an inscribed stone near the summit.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1960, SX77SW8 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV301793.

(18/05/1960) ('Buckland Beacon': name published on O.S. 6" 1906, where it is shown as a Trigonometrical Station).
There is an outcrop of rock at SX 7350 7310 which would provide a suitable base for a beacon but there is no visible evidence of its use as such.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 179 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

1/8/1976 A cairn-shaped tor, claimed as cairn by Page but Grinsell considers it a doubtful or rejected site.

Belsey, P. M., 1983 - 1987, Buckland In The Moor Parish Checklist (Un-published). SDV345904.

(Visited 1985) Buckland Beacon a granite outcrop 380 metres in height situated on the eastern edge of Dartmoor overlooking the gorge of the Dart and the Teign estuary.

Turner, J., 1985, Comment about Buckland Beacon (Personal Comment). SDV301788.

26/6/1985 Absence of bank, or ring of stones at base, indicate that the tor is natural.

Quinnell, N. V., 1985, Comment about features on Buckland Common (Personal Comment). SDV288072.

19/5/1985 Small stones piled round base and presumably fallen from top, indicate that it was a cairn.

Pascoe, E., 1986, Comment on feature on Buckland Common (Personal Comment). SDV290551.

Base of cairn is irregular, but approximately 30 metres by 9 metres. Used as a target by United States Army during 1939-1945 war.

Brown, M., 1996, A guide to the Parish of Buckland-in-the-Moor, 15 (Monograph). SDV361770.

Served as a beacon station for many centuries, where fires could be lit as part of a chain across the country, either to carry warning messages, or in celebration. No less than 47 other beacons could be seen from this summit during the celebration of Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1887. The most recent occasion for a beacon fire was in 1995, on the 50th anniversary of VE Day.

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

Summit of the tor visible on the aerial photograph.

Newman, P., 2015, Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, 49, figure 18 (Report - Survey). SDV359145.

Buckland Beacon, probable tor cairn. The tor outcrop is surrounded by small, turf-covered stones indicating a possible tor cairn. Condition is mostly stable but subject to visitor erosion. SX73500 73100.

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

(29/08/2020) Tor cairn not located during visit. Commandments stones recorded.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6836 - Rippon Tor Premier Archaeological Landscape survey

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