Details

This monument includes a stone hut circle and three lengths of bank
situated within Longaford Newtake on a south-facing slope overlooking the
West Dart River. The stone hut circle survives as a 1.3m wide bank
standing up to 0.4m high surrounding a 4m diameter circular internal area.
A south-facing gap in the hut wall may represent an original doorway.
The associated lengths of bank which lead north, south and east from the
hut are up to 1.7m wide and 0.3m high.

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.

The stone hut circle and associated walling 780m WNW of Longaford Tor survives
well and will contain information relating to the monument and the surrounding
landscape. This stone hut circle lies close to one of the largest prehistoric
settlements on Dartmoor and thus provides a marked contrast to its neighbour.
Stone hut circle settlements containing only one building are relatively rare
on the moor.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX67NW272, (1994)

Source: Historic England