Details

This cairn with a cist lies on a south-west-facing slope north-east of
Drizzlecombe and above the Sheepstor leat. The mound is 4m in diameter and
remains to a height of 0.25m with part of a retaining kerb on the north-west
side. The cist is orientated south-east/north-west and is 1.18m in length 0.9m
in width and 0.6m in depth. It was excavated in 1914, when charcoal was found
in it. It lies within a few hundred metres of the complex of stone alignments,
cairns and enclosures in Drizzlecombe.

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 provides 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.

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age
(c.2500-1000 BC) . They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the
latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were
locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple
burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer ditch. Often occupying
prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape.
Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide
important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation
amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative
of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved
and densest concentrations of round cairns in south-western Britain.

Although this cairn with a cist has been partly excavated, its overall
structure remains intact with the pre-burial landsurface preserved beneath the
mound. It also occupies a prominent position close to the ceremonial monument
complex at Drizzlecombe.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
SX56NE-068, REF SX56NE-068, (1990)

Source: Historic England