Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Stone alignment north of Glasscombe Upper Plantation

A Scheduled Monument in South Brent, Devon

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 50.4366 / 50°26'11"N

Longitude: -3.8769 / 3°52'36"W

OS Eastings: 266805.308026

OS Northings: 61323.153727

OS Grid: SX668613

Mapcode National: GBR Q9.1ZTH

Mapcode Global: FRA 27RW.ZC2

Entry Name: Stone alignment north of Glasscombe Upper Plantation

Scheduled Date: 14 April 1980

Last Amended: 8 November 1991

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1013037

English Heritage Legacy ID: 10570

County: Devon

Civil Parish: South Brent

Traditional County: Devon

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Devon

Church of England Parish: South Brent St Petroc

Church of England Diocese: Exeter

Details

Stone alignments or stone rows consist of upright stones set in single line
or in two or more parallel lines, up to several hundred metres in length.
They frequently lead to burial monuments such as small cairns, cists and
barrows and are therefore thought to have had a ceremonial function. The 70
or so examples known on Dartmoor were probably constructed in the Late
Neolithic period (around 2500 BC).
This double stone alignment is sited on the east side of the East Glaze
Brook and runs for c.130m north-east/south-west from a terminal cairn
towards the stream bank, where it is crossed by a disused leat and by the
Corringdon Leat, both of which have disturbed it. Over forty stones remain,
thirty set upright and a further fifteen fallen. The stones are up to 0.7m
in height; the rows are c.0.7m apart and the stones which remain in position
suggest a spacing of c.1.5m. There is a terminal stone at the south-western
end and the rows appear to align with the stone settings on the west side of
the East Glaze Brook, less than 100m away. The terminal cairn at the
northern end of the double alignment is a turf and heather- covered mound
15m in diameter and 0.4m in height. Elements of two concentric rings of
stone which can be traced within the body of the mound probably acted as
retaining kerbs.

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.
Stone alignments provide rare evidence of ceremonial or ritual practices on
the Moor during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age. This alignment is
particularly significant as it is associated with several well-preserved
cairns and other stone alignments on either side of the West Glaze Brook.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Robinson, R, Cosford, J, 'Proc Devon Arch Soc' in Dartmoor Multiple Stone Circles, , Vol. 44, (1986), 166-170
Other
Devon County SMR SX66SE-071,
Devon County SMR, SX66SE-148,

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.