Details

Many examples of prehistoric funerary monuments are preserved on Dartmoor,
mostly dating to the Bronze Age (c.2500 - 500 BC). To celebrate or
commemorate the dead, mounds of earth or stone were piled in roughly
hemispherical shape over the burial, which was sometimes contained in a
small rectangular structure, or cist, made of stone slabs. Some monuments
also include kerbstones marking the outer edge of the mound and surrounding
ditch.
Hillson's House is a large stone cairn, 17.5m in diameter and 2m high with a
(later) shelter built of stones from the cairn surmounting it. Rushes and
other vegetation around the base suggest the presence of an outer ditch.
Its size and prominent position on top of Stalldown, indicate that it has
been a significant landmark since it was first constructed.

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.
Hillson's House is a well-preserved example of a very large stone cairn and
occupies a prominent position on the brow of Stalldown, making it a major
landmark. Its relationship with other monuments of the Stalldown complex
indicates the wealth of evidence relating to the ritual side of prehistoric
life on this part of the Moor.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, 'Devon Archaeological Society Proceedings' in Dartmoor Barrows, , Vol. 36, (1978), 137
Other
Devon County SMR, SX66SW-055,

Source: Historic England