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GREAT WESTERN REAVE

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DESCRIPTION

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Bronze Age reave, part of the Great Western Reave the longest known prehistoric land division boundary on Dartmoor. Across Walkhampton Common it extends from the newtake enclosure in the south-west, across a high broad shelf located to the north--west of Sharpitor; here a short spur reave runs down the slope to the north-west. It then runs across a broad valley and over the western flank of Leeden Tor before being cut by a steep tinners' cliff. Just before it is cut it takes a dramatic north-easterly turn. It cannot be traced further north so it may have terminated at the river before it was destroyed by the streamworks. It is generally well-preserved and well-defined.

DETAIL

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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The southern part of the Great Western Reave is broken
at Leeden Tor, SX 563718, and is heavily overgrown and robbed (1).

(The reave has a number of discontinuous lengths between SX 552702
and SX 543787 (White Tor) a distance of over 10 kms. These have been
dealt with separately under individual antiquity numbers.

The reave extends from SX 55217030 (to the north-east of enclosed
land in which it probably once continued) to SX 56567251, at a
tributary of the River Walkham, a total distance of 2.67km. It is
well defined and tends towards higher ground for much of its course
but neither follows the contours nor has any particular point of
alignment, save perhaps Leeden Tor, towards which it gradually curves
and skirts the northwest side.

There are several modern breaks and one area of clitter where it is
discontinued (see illustration) plan for details). Some gaps at
SX 563719, north of the Tor, may represent original incompletion;
there is no reason for robbing in this area and large scale quarrying
70m. to the west has not intruded on the course.

The reave makes a distinct easterly turn before reaching its
northerly end on the stream. It may have originally ceased about here, though tin streaming has enlarged the area of marsh; certainly there is no sign of any continuation beyond. A comparison may be made with the next lengths 2 kms. to the north-north-west (SX 57 SE 116 and SX 57 NE 104).

The only appendages to the reave are a branch to the north-west
(SX 57 SE 130) and a half dozen huts attached to either side (SX
57 SE 94)

Surveyed at 1:10 000 on M.S.D. (2)

The reave varies in width between 2.4m and 4m whilst its height varies between 0.2m and 0.7m. Scheduled (3)

Depicted by Butler (4)

The reave at Walkhampton Common extends from the newtake enclosure in the south-west, across a high broad shelf located to the north--west of Sharpitor; here a short spur reave runs down the slope to the north-west. It then runs across a broad valley and over the western flank of Leeden Tor before being cut by a steep tinners' cliff. Just before it is lost it takes a dramatic north-easterly turn. It cannot be traced further north so it may have terminated at the river before it was destroyed by the streamworks It is generally well-preserved and well-defined.
Parts of the reave are now bracken covered. Surveyed at 1:2500 (5)

SOURCE TEXT

(4) General reference

Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities 1994 vol 3 The south- West map 45 J.Butler

(5) Field Investigators Comments

M.J.Fletcher English Heritage Field Investigation 24-June-2007

( 1) Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society

A Fleming 44, 1948 Page(s)113-4

( 2) Field Investigators Comments

F1 NVQ 05-AUG-80

(3) Scheduled Monument Notification

Schedule amendment 10-Apr-2001

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