| More information : (SX 554747) Stone Rows (NR) Cairns (NR) (1)
Two double stone rows, a single stone row and associated barrows (Plan);
A. A double stone row, extending for 596ft, with a blocking stone at its eastern end.
B. A double stone row, extending for 864ft, with a blocking stone at its eastern end. Almost central along its length it is interrupted by a 12ft diameter cairn circle containing a small barrow.
C. A single stone row extending for 139ft from a 9ft diameter barrow south of stone row B. Barrow plots at SX 55397476 from plan (see SX 57 SE 115). (2)
A: North Row, SX 55367479 to SX 55557482. The row is 182m. long and although it is likely that it once extended further to the west there is now no evidence of post holes or stones which can be assigned to the row with any degree of certainty. A slight lowering of the ground surface may be the result of casual peat digging in this area. (See ground photographs).
The double row is formed by random post and slab stones, the latter usually aligned along the row. The distance between the rows is a fairly constant 1.2m. and the spacing between the stones 1.5m., closing to 1.0m. towards the east end. Almost two thirds of the stones are under 0.2m. high but they are consistently higher in the eastern 60m., 0.4m. being the average height.
At the eastern end there is a blocking stone and beyond it a number of earthfast and loose slabs which seem to represent a former kerb or circle about 5.6m. in diameter. The blocking stone is part of the circle with two or possibly three earthfast slabs on end, three recumbent slabs, and four other post or slab stones which are much displaced or entirely unconnected. The stones are spaced at about 2.0m. intervals; uprooted slabs are from 0.3m. square to 0.4m. by 0.5m., earthfast stones 0.1m. high. There is no sign of a cairn or cist.
B: South Row: SX 55307475 to SX 55567478. A double row, 262.5m. in length; incorporating a cairn within 2.5m. of the midway point. The stones are random post and slab types, the latter always well aligned with the row except for the twin blocking stones at the west end and the single blocking stone at the east end. The spacing of stones along the rows is approximately 1.6m. but for the eastern 30m. they close up to an average of 1.0m. The width between rows varies from 1.2m. to 0.6m., again being closer towards the east end, where, as in the north row the stones are consistently higher.
In both instances the concentration at the east may be due to the close proximity of the source material in an abundance of clitter, whereas there is virtually no surface stone alongside or to the west of the rows (see ground photographs).
The central cairn, at SX 55437477, is 3.0m. in diameter and 0.2m. high, with its stone content now turf covered. It has an off-centre cist, orientated north-south, of which the side slabs remain in place. The cist measures 0.7m. by 0.4m. and is 0.3m. deep. Slightly beyond the perimeter of the mound six stones of a peristalith or cairn circle survive, two to a height of 0.5m. (See ground photograph)
Stone rows and cairn surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD at 1:2500 and at 1:500 (for which see illustrations). (3)
SX 55387478 Stone Rows (NR) Cairns (NR) (4)
Additional bibliography (5)
Centred SX 55457479. Two double stone rows lie in open moorland forming the gently sloping crest of Long Ash Hill south of B 3357. The rows lie at approximately 340m above OD and are oriented roughly east to west. They are almost parallel, being 25m between centres at their eastern ends increasing to 32m at the west. A leat still used to convey water to Hillside Stables separates the two monuments and flows to within 2.0m of the northern row. A single row (National Monuments Record SX 57 SE 115) runs roughly south-west from a small cairn at SX 55397476, some 4.75m south of the south row.
The stone rows were surveyed and recorded at 1:200 scale in advance of repair and conservation work on the leat which bisects them. (8)
Recorded and surveyed by Butler. (9)
The stone rows are well preserved even though they are the focus of intense visitor activity. The fragile landscape was surveyed in 1999 as part of a new investigation of the guardianship site. (10)
The Neolithic/Bronze Age stone rows and associated cairns of the English Heritage Trust Merrivale Guardianship Area were recorded as standing stones and earthworks on 2021 Historic England orthomosaic aerial photography. A few of the standing stones were mapped from 2019 Next Perspectives APGB Imagery in association with the orthomosaic where vegetation or the eroded ground surface affected the visibility of the stone. For the third stone row, extending to the south-west from a cairn at SX 55395 74763, see NRHE 440357. For the cairn at the east end of the northern stone row, see NRHE 1631073. The features are scheduled (NHLE 1013429). The site was mapped from aerial sources in 2023 during the Historic England Dartmoor-Plym project. (11-12)
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