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MONUMENT NO. 443951

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DESCRIPTION

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Seven hut circles, a possible cist, a possible ring cairn and fragments of contemporary walling 200 yards North of Hemstone Rocks.

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(SX 648838) Hut Circles (NR). (1)

A cist, three ruined cairns and three hut circles 200 yds north of
Hemstone Rocks. In the cist, of which two side stones remain, a
flint flake was found.

The most westerley cairn is reduced to a 3 ft diameter circle of
small stones, and within it was found a pit containing charcoal
and burnt bones. Charcoal has also been found in the other two
cairns.

A flint scraper and a pot boiler were found in one of the hut circles. (2)

SX 64868385. Ring of cairn, disturbed; planted. Diameter 5.7m.,
height, slight. SX 6484 8385. Ring of low cairn, disturbed; planted.
Diameter 5.5m., height 0.5m. Both visited November 1975.At SX 649838
approx, a third cairn. (3)

Hut circles recorded at SX64798381, SX64818382, SX64838378,
SX64838379, SX64848380, SX64878381, and SX64868382. (With slight
adjustment in NGR's this group of hut circles accorded with six of
the seven published hut circles). (4)

Eight hut circles centred approximately SX 64208382 (5).

Centred SX 64818380. A group of seven hut circles, a possible cist, and several fragments of contemporary field system lie in a series of clearings in a coniferous plantation 200m NNE of Hemstone Rocks. All the features have been severely damaged by past forestry activities and the two huts on the E margin of the site are still overplanted. The huts (detailed below) are generally small with internal diameters in the range 3.1m to 5.5m and do not possess obvious entrances. A further hut depicted by Butler (authority 5, Map 35) is situated at SX 64858384 in the NE corner of the site. It is visible as a very disturbed partial stony ring 6.5m in diameter with an undulating raised interior and may represent one of the ring cairns described by the SMR. Its mutilated form precludes a more definite interpretation.
The cairn described by authority 3 lies at SX 64768380 on the extreme W edge of the site. It consists of a crude circle of stones 1.7m in overall diameter with a level interior. There is no trace of a cist nor any mound material. Low stony banks around 1.2m wide and up to 0.6m high link several of the huts but overall form no discernible pattern.

Details of hut circles: all dimensions are in metres, details appear in the order NGR; internal diameter; wall width; wall height; remarks:-

SX 64778379, 5.5, 0.9, 0.5, E wall partially destroyed.
SX 64798381, 5.0, 0.9, 0.5, E wall partially destroyed.
SX 64808377, 3.3, 0.9, 0.4.
SX 64818377, 3.1, 0.9, 0.8, disturbed by forestry - now almost square in shape.
SX 64818378, 3.2, 1.4, 0.5, almost square.
SX 64858380, 3.6, 1.2, 0.4, overplanted.
SX 64848381, 4.5, 0.9, 0.25, incomplete circle of boulders and slabs, overplanted. (6).

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1965

( 2) Devonshire Association reports and transactions

(S Baring-Gould Ed) 33, 1901 Page(s)137

( 3) Devon Archaeological Society Proceedings

(L V Grinsell) 36, 1978 Page(s)145

( 4) General reference

Anc Mons on Forestry Commission Land Dartmoor 1976 Mss (J Turner)

(5) General reference

J Butler (1991) Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, vol 2 The North (Devon Books); map 35

(6) Field Investigators Comments

Probert, SAJ, 02-AUG-1995, RCHME Field Investigation

(7) Scheduled Monument Notification

24-JuL-1998

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