Details

This monument includes two stone hut circles and an enclosure situated on a
gentle north-east facing slope overlooking the valley of the Colly Brook and
is part of a large unenclosed stone hut circle settlement on the north-east
slope of Cox Tor. The two stone hut circles are attached to the enclosure
boundary and each has a stone and earth bank defining a circular interior. The
internal diameters of the structures are 4.5m and 5.8m and the walls stand
0.4m and 0.5m high respectively.
The sub-circular enclosure measures 50m north-west to south-east by 39m north-
east to south-west and is defined by a rubble wall measuring 1.8m wide and up
to 0.5m high. A gap in the northern circuit of the enclosure boundary probably
represents an original entrance. A length of boundary wall leads for 11m
north-eastward from the enclosure.

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.

Despite limited damage, this part of the unenclosed stone hut circle
settlement on the north-east slope of Cox Tor survives comparatively well.
Important and informative archaeological structures, features and deposits
survive intact and provide an insight into agricultural practice on the
western side of the Moor.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1991), 84-5
Other
Gibson, A, Single Monument Class Description - Stone Hut Circles, (1987)
National Archaeological Record, SX57NW33, (1987)

Source: Historic England