Details

The monument includes two adjacent stone hut circles and a short length of
boundary wall alongside them, situated near other, broadly contemporary, hut
circles, cairns and field systems on the western edge of Twelve Men's Moor on
eastern Bodmin Moor.
The two hut circles are centred 10m apart on a north-south axis. The northern
hut circle survives with a wall of heaped rubble, up to 0.8m high and 1.4m
wide, with an almost continuous line of edge-set inner facing slabs. The wall
defines an oval, level, internal area, measuring 4.5m WNW-ESE by 2.5m NNE-SSW,
and has an entrance gap 1.5m wide facing SW. The southern hut circle has
similar rubble walling, up to 1.4m wide and 0.8m high, but with fewer, less
prominent inner-facing slabs. This wall defines a near circular internal
area, 6m in diameter, and curves inwards slightly at an eastern entrance gap.
Close to the eastern side of these hut circles is a 28m length of boundary
wall, running NNW-SSE, and formed of boulders and heaped rubble, up to 1.75m
wide and 0.8m high. The wall touches the eastern outer side of the northern
hut circle's wall and passes 2.5m east of the southern hut circle. The wall
is truncated at each end by modern clearance. The fact that neither the hut
circles' walling nor the boundary wall have been robbed of stone for the
construction of each other indicates their broadly contemporary date. The
ground level of the monument and its immediate vicinity is raised slightly
above that of the surrounding pasture, due to the gradual lowering of the
surrounding surface by occasional ploughing to which the monument itself has
not been subjected.

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

Bodmin Moor, the largest of the Cornish granite uplands, has long been
recognised to have exceptional preservation of archaeological remains. The
Moor has been the subject of detailed archaeological survey and is one of the
best recorded upland landscapes in England. The extensive relict landscapes of
prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval date provide direct evidence for human
exploitation of the Moor from the earliest prehistoric period onwards. The
well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, field
systems, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains
provides significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land
use through time. Stone hut circles were the dwelling places of prehistoric
farmers on the Moor, mostly dating from the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). The
stone-based round houses survive as low walls or banks enclosing a circular
floor area; remains of a turf or thatch roof are not preserved. The huts occur
singly or in small or large groups and may occur in the open or be enclosed by
a bank of earth and stone. Although they are common on the Moor, their
longevity of use and their relationship with other monument types provides
important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming
practices among prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative
of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.

These hut circles on Twelve Men's Moor have survived well, with no evident or
recorded disturbance. Their adjacent fragment of a broadly contemporary
rubble bank indicates the former presence of walling closely associated with
hut circles which is otherwise unattested by the surviving remains in this
extensively cleared area of pasture. The proximity of the monument to other
broadly contemporary settlement sites, field systems and funerary monuments on
Twelve Men's Moor demonstrates well the nature of farming practices and the
organisation of land use during the Bronze Age.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
consulted 10/1991, Cornwall SMR entries for PRN 1077.02 - .08,
consulted 10/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1077.04,
consulted 10/1991, Quinnell, N V/RCHME, 1:2500 AP Supplementary Field Trace for SX 2475,
consulted 10/91, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1077.05,
consulted 9/1991, Carter, A./RCHME, 1:2500 AP transcription for SX 2475,

Source: Historic England