Details

This monument includes a stone hut circle situated on a terrace on the
southern slope of Cox Tor overlooking Beckamoor Combe. The stone hut circle
is composed of a stone and earth wall defining an internal area measuring 7m
in diameter. The wall is 1.8m wide and stands up to 0.4m high. A clearly
defined doorway faces south.
This hut lies on the northern edge of a coaxial field system which extends
over the southern slopes of Cox Tor.

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 130m south east of the Ordnance Survey triangulation
pillar on Cox Tor survives comparatively well and forms part of a scattered
group of settlements situated on the slopes of Cox Tor. The hut lies on the
edge of a coaxial field system and close to an important round cairn
cemetery. The hut contains archaeological remains and environmental evidence
relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. As
such, it provides a valuable source of information concerning the nature of
Bronze Age occupation and land use on the west side of the Moor.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Gerrard, S, Military mortar emplacements on Dartmoor?, (1992)
Other
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles,
National Archaeological Record, SX57NW40,

Source: Historic England