Summary

Enclosure 490m north-east of New Bridge.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 29 October 2015. This 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.

This monument includes an oval enclosure situated on low lying ground below Leigh Tor close to the River Dart. The enclosure survives as a 48m long by 40m wide oval shaped area surrounded by a rubble and earthen bank standing up to 1m high. Beyond the bank is a ditch from which material was quarried during construction. This measures up to 4m wide and 1m deep and survives in places as a buried feature. There are opposing entrances on the north and south, although the northern one may not be original. The interior has no trace of structures although a few scattered boulders occur. The presence of the outer ditch strongly suggests that the enclosure is no earlier than Iron Age and indeed may have had medieval origins.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

The enclosure 490m north-east of New Bridge survives well and represents an unusual form of Dartmoor enclosure. Most Dartmoor enclosures are ditchless and the existence of a ditch strongly suggests the survival of an enclosure of historic date. Enclosures of this type are thought to be rare on the moor and it therefore provides a valuable contrast with earlier examples and will contain information concerning land-use in the period after the Bronze Age.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991), 120-1
Other
PastScape Monument No:- 335303

Source: Historic England