Details

This parallel reave lies east of Roughtor parallel reave and runs north-west
from Eylesbarrow watershed reave for some 350m, where it joins enclosed fields
south of Narrator Brook. Although, it abuts Eylesbarrow watershed reave, for
purposes of clarity and because they are different reave forms, these two
reaves have been defined as separate schedulings. It is a low bank of earth
and stone 1.5m in width and 0.4m in height, with a ditch along its east side.
There are two enclosures associated with the reave, one with a hut circle. The
latter abuts the reave on the western side towards its northern end and is 36m
in diameter. The bank is 1m in width and 0.4m in height, including some large
stones up to 0.5m in height and has an entrance in the south side. There is a
hut in the south-east angle between the enclosure wall and the reave, it is 6m
in diameter with walls 0.5m in width and 0.75m in height. The other enclosure
lies across the reave slightly south-east of its mid-point and is 14m in
diameter with a bank 2m in width and 0.75m in height.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

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.

Elaborate complexes of fields and field boundaries are some of the major
features of the Dartmoor landscape. The reaves are part of an extensive
system of prehistoric land division introduced during the Bronze Age, around
1700BC. They consist of simple linear stone banks used to mark out discrete
territories, some of which are tens of kilometres in extent. The systems are
defined by parallel, contour and watershed reaves, dividing the lower land
from the grazing zones of the higher moor and defining the watersheds of
adjacent river systems. Occupation sites and funerary or ceremonial
monuments are often incorporated in, or associated with, reave complexes.
Their longevity and their relationship with other monument types provides
important information on the diversity of social organisation, land divisions
and farming practices amongst prehistoric communities. They show considerable
longevity as a monument type, sometimes surviving as fossilised examples in
medieval field plans. They are an important element in the existing landscape
and, as such, a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered
worthy of protection.

This parallel reave with its associated enclosures is part of the complex
which terminates on Eylesbarrow watershed reave, a major element of the system
on the south-west part of the Moor.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
SX56NE-429, REF SX56NE-429, (1990)
SX56NE-430, REF SX56NE-430, (1990)
SX56NE-431, REF SX56NE-431, (1990)

Source: Historic England