Summary

Three stone hut circles and associated enclosures forming part of a stone hut circle settlement within the coaxial field system on Wigford Down, 770m WNW of Lower Cadworthy Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 5 November 2015. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

The monument, which falls into three areas of protection, includes three stone hut circles with associated enclosures forming part of a stone hut circle settlement within the coaxial field system situated on the southern side of Wigford Down overlooking the Plym Valley. The three stone hut circles survive as rubble built walls measuring up to 2m wide and 1.1m high which enclose circular internal areas of up to 10.5m in diameter. The hut circles are partially enclosed within small irregular shaped enclosures which form part of the Wigford Down coaxial field system.

Further archaeological remains survive within the vicinity of the monument, but these are not included within the scheduling because they have not been formally assessed.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and, because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country. The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provide direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time. Stone hut circles and hut settlements were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers on Dartmoor. They mostly date from the Bronze Age, with the earliest examples on the Moor in this building tradition dating to about 1700 BC. The stone-based round houses consist of low walls or banks enclosing a circular floor area; remains of the turf or thatch roof are not preserved. The huts may occur singly or in small or large groups and may lie in the open or be enclosed by a bank of earth and stone. Although they are common on the Moor, their longevity and their relationship with other monument types provide important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming practices amongst prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period.

The three stone hut circles and associated enclosures forming part of a stone hut circle settlement within the coaxial field system on Wigford Down, 770m WNW of Lower Cadworthy Farm, survive well and will contain important archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, the development of the area within the coaxial field system agricultural practices and climatic change through time.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1994)
Other
PastScape Monument No:-439540

Source: Historic England