Details

This monument includes 12 stone hut circles sitting within an enclosure
situated on the lower west-facing slope of Sharp Tor overlooking Doe Tor. The
interior of the enclosure measures 105m east to west by 75m north to south and
is defined by a 1m wide and 0.6m high orthostatic wall faced by slabs on both
sides and infilled with rubble. The stone hut circles are composed of stone
and earth banks each surrounding an internal area. Of the huts, 11 are
circular in plan and one is D-shaped. The internal diameter of the circular
huts varies between 3.5m and 5.3m with the average being 4.8m. The D-shaped
hut measures 4m long by 3.6m wide and is attached to the enclosure wall. The
height of all the surrounding walls varies between 0.4m and 0.9m with the
average being 0.72m. One hut is attached to the enclosure boundary and one has
a visible doorway.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

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 and a substantial proportion of
surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

The enclosed stone hut circle settlement 540m east of Doe Tor survives well
within an area containing a number of broadly contemporary settlements, field
systems, cairnfields and funerary monuments. The settlement contains
archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument,
the economy of its inhabitants and the landscape in which they lived. As
such, it provides a valuable insight into the nature of Bronze Age occupation
on the west side of the Moor.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991), 131
Butler, J, 'Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities' in Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - The North, , Vol. 2, (1991), 131
Other
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,

Source: Historic England