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MONUMENT NO. 440082

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Bronze Age settlement of at least 50 round houses, several lengths of rubble walling and at least two cairns. Many of the round houses are apparently unenclosed, although short lengths of walling indicate that a field system or group of enclosures may have once been associated with this settlement.

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SX 581724) Hut Circles (NR). (1)

A large group of hut circles, varying from 10 ft to 18 ft diameter,
in or near the Rifle Range between Devil's Gully and Har Tor.
Eighteen of the huts were examined in 1895/6. Much pottery was
found, including some sherds with a zigzag pattern (Bronze Age)
from one hut. Other notable finds were rubbing stones, flint
scrapers, pot boilers and much charcoal. Eight of the huts
yielded no finds and were deduced to be cattle pounds. (2)(3)

Centred at SX 58587244 is an open settlement of 39 huts covering
nearly 5.0 ha. of a heather-covered southwest slope between
360m. and 388m. OD. Some huts are densely overgrown and in
poor condition but all appear to be of Type 2 (SX 56 NE 71).

The interiors are levelled with internal diameters ranging
from 3.0m to 7.7m and walling averaging 1.2m wide and 0.6m high. The
greater proportion of the entrances are to the SW and SE (see plan).

Two huts (A & B on plan), at SX 58207247 and SX 58147240 are sub-
divided, and 'B' has an additional small stone hut on the east side.
At SX 58177238, 'C', two huts are joined, and at SX 58187252 there is
a distinctly oval hut, 'D' with internal measurements of 4.9m by 3.3m. At SX 58117262 a hut 'E' has evidently been reconstructed with coursed walling 0.7m high. It is in close proximity to tin streaming and may have served as a tinners' hut, although there is no obvious entrance.

Some fragmentary boulder and rubble walls, particularlty in the
northern part of the settlement, suggest that the area incorporated a
number of fields or plots, but with one exception they are poorly
defined and no overall pattern or extent can be deduced.

Settlement surveyed at 1:1000 on MSD and at 1:2500. (4)

(Centred SX 581724) Settlement [NR]. (5)

SX 582724 (6). Hut circles S of Devil's Bridge, Scheduled. (6)(7)

Additional bibliography. (8)

A settlement of at least 50 round houses, several lengths of rubble walling and at least two, probably three cairns. Many of the round houses are apparently unenclosed, although short lengths of walling indicate that a field system or group of enclosures may have once been associated with this settlement. The best preserved boundary wall survives at the northern end of the sttlement where an enclosed area measuring 35m by 21m defined by a 1.5m wide and 0m5 high rubble bank survives. Leading from this enclosed area is a second bank which curves southward enclosing a substantial area. A full description and the dimensions of each house is provided in this comprehensive report (9).

Short report and survey (10)

The settlement is very well defined in open grass moorland. A number of the huts are very pronounced and some have clearly been patially reconstructed. A short length of a linear stone wall was identified at the northern limit of the settlement A disused 19th c. rifle range lies across the settlement (SX 57 SE 239) Surveyed at 1:2500 scale(11).

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1963

( 2) General reference

T Devon Ass 28 1896 189-91

( 3) General reference

AP's (F62 58 RAF 6399 040 2.7.64) (RAF CPE/UK/2149 4437-8 11.6.47)

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F1 NJA 16-JUN-80

( 5) General reference

OS 1:10000 1982

( 6) General reference

DOE (IAM) Anc Mons Eng 2 1978 51

( 7) General reference

Devon Comm Rescue Arch Publ 5 1979 44

( 8) General reference

High Dartmoor 1983 134 (E Hemery)

(9) General reference

Meavy Valley Archaeology Site report No.8 S.Gerrard

(10) General reference

Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquites 1994 vol 3 The South-West. Map 46. 54 J.Butler

(11) Field Investigators Comments

M.Fletcher English Heritage Field Investigation 15-October -2007

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A 19thc rifle range laid out within the remains of a prehistoric settlement on a open moorland hillside in the shadow of Hart Tor. The range comprises...

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