Details

The monument includes a subrectangular prehistoric enclosure containing a
single hut circle, situated near unenclosed hut circles and clearance cairns
amid medieval field boundaries and tin miners' leats on the south west edge of
Craddock Moor on Bodmin Moor.

The enclosure survives as a wall of heaped stone rubble, 1.5m wide and up to
0.3m high, enclosing a subrectangular area measuring 50m NNE-SSW by 45m ESE-
WNW. Occasional upright inner facing slabs are present in the eastern and
north western sectors of the enclosure wall. The enclosure's northern and
western sides curve outwards while the other two sides are straight. A much
slighter wall of similar construction, 1m wide and 0.2m high, subdivides the
enclosure, running approximately 9m south of its northern wall and curving to
the south to meet the east wall. The stone hut circle is built against the
enclosure's north wall and comprises a circular rubble wall, 1.5m wide and
0.75m high with internal facing slabs, enclosing a 5m diameter internal area,
levelled into the hillslope. A narrow gap to the south east, faced on one
side by a slab crossing the width of the wall, marks the entrance of the hut
circle.

The monument also contains parts of two parallel stone boundary walls, 26m
apart on an east-west axis, from a more extensive medieval field system which
extends west and north of the enclosure. The walls are each 1m wide, 0.1m
high; one passes 1m to the north of the enclosure's north wall, the other
extends for 17m into the enclosure having crossed the enclosure's western wall
17m north of its south west corner. The enclosure is also bisected on a
north-south axis by a tin miners' watercourse, called a leat, visible as a
slight ditch, 1.5m wide and 0.2m deep with upcast on its west side, which
forms part of a later land use of this hillside, cutting through both the
prehistoric and medieval boundary walls.

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

Bodmin Moor, the largest of the Cornish granite uplands, has long been
recognised to have exceptional preservation of archaeological remains. The
Moor has been the subject of detailed archaeological survey and is one of the
best recorded upland landscapes in England. The extensive relict landscapes of
prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval date provide direct evidence for human
exploitation of the Moor from the earliest prehistoric period onwards. The
well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, field
systems, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains
provides significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land
use through time.

Within the landscape of Bodmin Moor are many discrete plots of land enclosed
by stone walls or banks of stone and earth, most of which date to the Bronze
Age (c.2000 - 750 BC), though earlier and later examples also exist. They
were constructed as stock pens or as protected areas for crop growing and were
sometimes subdivided to accommodate stock and hut circle dwellings for
farmers and herdsmen. The size and form of enclosures may therefore vary
considerably depending on their particular function. Their variation in form,
longevity and relationship to other monument classes provide important
information on the diversity of social organisation and farming practices
among prehistoric communities. They are highly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.

This prehistoric enclosure on Craddock Moor and its contained hut circle have
survived well and have not been excavated. Their proximity to other broadly
contemporary hut circles, enclosures and cairns demonstrates well the nature
of land use during the Bronze Age.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Sharpe, A, The Minions Area Archaeological Survey and Management (Volume 2), (1989)
Other
7/1991, Carter, A./RCHME, 1:2500 AP transcription for SX 2471,
consulted 1993, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1229,
consulted 6/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1280,
consulted 6/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1282,
consulted 6/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1299,
consulted 6/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1356,
consulted 6/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 14113,
consulted 9/1991, Carter, A./RCHME, 1:2500 AP transcriptions for SX 2371 & SX 2471,
Information told to MPP fieldworker by Peter Herring, CAU, (1993)

Source: Historic England