| Summary : Stone circle. The eleven stones stand on a gentle slope in close-cropped grassland. The diameter of the circle ranges from 18.5 to 20 metres; there are five post stones and six slab stones up to 0.65 metres in height. The level interior has a number of slight pits and shallow linear depressions: on is the infilled 19th century trench and others denote footpaths. The outlying stone to the east of the circle and the two 0.3 metre deep pits survive in situ. It is not clear whether these features represent the remains of a second, concentric, stone circle. Scheduled and a guardianship site. The Neolithic/Bronze Age stone circle and outlying stone were recorded as structures on 2021 Historic England orthomosaic aerial photography.
|
| More information : (SX 55357463) Stone Circle (NR). (1)
A 60 ft diameter circle of ten stones about 1 ft 6 ins high.A trial trench cut from the centre southwards revealed no evidence of previous use. (2)
In 1895 examination of some depressions near the stone circle, revealed pits with packing stones which had apparently been the sockets of standing stones. (3)
A stone circle with a diameter of 20.0m. measured from northeast to southwest and 18.0m from northwest to southeast. It is formed by eleven stones spaced between 2.7m and 6.7m. apart and from 0.3m. to 0.5m. high. Three of the stones are of post type and eight are upright slabs. An additional stone, 7.5m. from the northeast side and 0.3m high, is angled towards the circle and may be quite unassociated.
The depressions excavated in 1895 can not be identified.
Circle surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:250.
(See illustration plan and photograph). (4)
Several detailed 19th century accounts of the stone circle show the number of stones has actually increased, a most unusual phenomenon, from 9 in the early part of the century, 8 in 1828, 10 in 1827 and 9 in 1859, before reaching the present total of 11 in Worth's 1895 plan. It seems at least 2 stones have been added, probably by some of the early investigators who were not always particular in recording their restorations. a small outlier 8m east of the circle might be considered natural but for the Exploration Committee's excavation of several pits 0.3-0.5m deep 'near the sacred circle', one of which contained a flint flake. These were found to be socket holes for 'large stones .. perhaps the size of the menhir' according to Tower, who, as a member of the Committee, was presumably present during the dig. The outlier and two of the pits on their plan show them to be concentric with the circle, indicating a much more impressive structure at one period, another pair being nearer the standing stone. The interior is quite flat apart from a shallow trench from the centre to the southern edge, dug sometime before 1871 by Spence Bate. (5)
Centred at SX55367464. The eleven stones of this stone circle stands on a gentle slope in close-cropped grassland. The diameter of the circle ranges from 18.5m to 20.0m; there are five post stones and six slab stones up to 0.65m in height.
The level interior has a number of slight pits and shallow linear depressions: one is the infilled 19th century trench and others denote footpaths. The outlying stone to the east of the circle and the two 0.3m deep pits survive in situ; they may represent the remains of a second, concentric, stone circle. Other partially buried stones occur in the locality of this outer ring.
Merrivale Stone Circle: dimensions of the individual stones
Grid RefHWTStatus
SX55362746430.350.550.2Slab
SX55367746390.550.550.15Slab
SX55367746340.550.40.2Post
SX55365746290.60.650.15Slab
SX55363746280.60.340.25Post
SX55357746260.50.50.15Slab
SX55351746290.30.20.2Post
SX55348746340.550.550.15Slab
SX55348746380.350.20.3Post
SX55352746430.30.60.2Slab
SX55356746440.30.250.35Post
SX55375746380.30.5 0.15 Recumbent
(6)
The Neolithic/Bronze Age stone circle and outlying stone were recorded as structures on 2021 Historic England orthomosaic aerial photography. The eleven standing stones of the circles and single outlying stone to the east were mapped from the aerial sources in 2023 during the Historic England Dartmoor-Plym project. The site is scheduled (NHLE 1013430) and within the English Heritage Trust Merrivale Guardianship Area.
|