Details

This monument includes a stone hut circle forming an outlying part of an
unenclosed stone hut circle settlement west of Dead Lake and is situated on a
gentle south-facing slope within the valley of the River Walkham. The
structure is terraced into the hillslope and the walls are composed of stone
and earth. The interior of the hut measures 3.1m in diameter, the walls are
1.2m wide and stand up to 0.5m high. A clearly defined doorway leads into an
annexe attached to the southern wall of the hut and its walls measure 2.5m
long by 1.9m wide and up to 0.3m high.

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 stone hut circle forming part of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement
west of Dead Lake survives comparatively well and is part of the furthest
upstream settlement known in the valley of the River Walkham. The settlement
contains archaeological evidence relating to the monument, the economy of its
inhabitants and the landscape in which they lived and, as such, provides a
valuable insight into the nature of Bronze Age occupation in a more remote
part of the Moor. Peat bog deposits in the immediate vicinity of the
settlement will provide a rich source of environmental information.
The location of the settlement in close proximity to rich tin deposits means
that information concerning prehistoric tinworking may survive.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991)
Other
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)

Source: Historic England