Summary : A hut circle and two sub-rectangular structures lie adjacent to the Willings Walls Reave 250 metres north east of Spanish Lake. The hut circle is well-preserved but the origins and functions of the other two features are unclear and most unlikely to be prehistoric and connected to settlement. The Bronze Age and medieval/post-medieval structures, recorded by previous authorities, are visible on Environment Agency 1m Lidar data flown in 2019 and 2021 Historic England orthomosaic aerial photography. The site was mapped from aerial sources in 2023 during the Historic England Dartmoor-Plym project.
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More information : (SX 58206493) & (SX 58216492) Hut Circles (NR). (1)
Not visible on air photographs. (2)
SX 58206494. The open settlement consists of 2 type 1 hut circles and a yard, and lies by an opeining in the reave (SX 56 NE 123), on a gentle, well drained slope at 335m. above OD. The larger hut circle, internal diameter 7.2m. has a wall, about 1m. wide, in poor condition, with a south facing entrance. It is built opposite the
opening and to the west of the reave. The smaller hut circle, 4m x 3m internally with a wall about 1.5m wide has a north facing entrance and is built against the east face of the reave on the south of the opening. The sub-rectangular yard, about 5m. by 3m. internally, with a wall about 1m. thick and in very poor condition, is built on to the west face of the reave.
This settlement is contemporary with the reave and was possibly built to control the opening. The gap, 19m. wide seems original, since there is no visual evidence of robbed walling and there is a distinct realignment to the north to accomodate the entrance gap. (Type site SX 56 SE 19).
1:10 000 Survey on PFD/AO Model.
Enlargement Survey at 1:1000 scale for AO Records. (3)
Two stone hut circles lying adjacent to an entrance in Willings Walls Reave. The larger hut lies west of the reave and is defined by a 1.4 metre wide rubble bank up to 0.7 metres high, enclosing an internal area measuring 6.5 metres in diameter. The second hut is attached to the east side of the reave and survives as a 1.6 metre wide and 0.6 metre high rubble bank surrounding an oval internal area 4 metres by 3.4 metres. Scheduled. (4)
Two hut circles and a structure depicted and described by Robertson. (5)
Three hut circles depicted by Butler. (6)
Centred SX 58216494. A well-preserved hut circle and two sub-rectangular structures lie adjacent to the Willings Walls Reave 250m NE of Spanish Lake.
SX 58216495. The hut circle is well preserved and consists of a level platform 6.6m N to S by 6.3m bounded by stony walls 1.6m wide and 0.4m high internally. There is no obvious entrance.
SX 58216494. A wedge shaped structure measuring 4.6m N to S by 3.6m wide at the S tapering to around 2m wide at the N end which is open. One side is formed by the reave while the other is part of a medieval or later boundarywork that traverses this part of Lee Moor.
SX 58216492. A rectangular structure built on to the W side of the reave. It measures 5.4m N to S by 3.3m with walls 1.2m wide and 0.25m high. An entrance gap lies near the NW corner. The interior lies at the same level as the surrounding ground.
The origins and functions of the latter two features are unclear but most unlikely to be prehistoric and connected to settlement.
The gap in the reave described by Authority 3 is where it is bisected by the later enclosure bank and ditch which can be traced for some distance in both directions. (7)
The Bronze Age and medieval/post-medieval structures, recorded by previous authorities, are visible on Environment Agency 1m Lidar data flown in 2019 and 2021 Historic England orthomosaic aerial photography. The site was mapped from aerial sources in 2023 during the Historic England Dartmoor-Plym project. It includes two Bronze Age hut circles positioned in a gap in the Willings Walls Reave (NRHE 438849) and a sub-rectangular building built against and partly over the reave, on its western side. Scheduled monument NHLE 1019083. (8-9)
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