They are known as Grey Wethers as, it is said. It was actually discovered back in 2007 by Alan Endacott, but the hard work of unearthing the stones (by the Dartmoor Preservation Association volunteers) was carried out in April 2015. The original circle appears to have been c. 30m across, although no stones appear to the west of the old wall. The hard part, I was sure, was over. This home is currently off market - it last sold on December 12, 2002 for $410,000. carried out excavations, the following are the most notable cases related to Dartmoor stone circles. The Scorhill, Brisworthy circles are located near rivers but others such as the Mardon circle are nowhere near a river. The day-to-day life and culture of prehistoric peoples would have remained lttle changed from the late Neolithic through to the early Bronze Age. 27-86 (1990) Burnard, Robert, The Disappearing Stone Monuments of Dartmoor T.D.A. Reaves cover vast expanses and were very carefully planned and constructed. Dartmoor National Park Authority A Guide to the Archaeology of Dartmoor (Matthews-Wright Press, 1978) Rainbird, Paul A Guide to the Archaeology of South Devon (Three Barrows Books, 2010) 30 pp.97-115 (1898) There are 15 (known) stone circles on Dartmoor, and several other possibilities that are currently being investigated. Once seen you ca then continue to Teignhead Farm further to the southwest.Teignhead Farm was established in 1780 and was occupied until 1943 when the War Office (now the Ministry of Defence) requisitioned the land. Hemery, Eric High Dartmoor (Robert Hale, 1983) Langstone circle was another impressive restored site until it was badly damaged by troops stationed nearby who used it for target practise during the Second World War. Suitable for all skill levels. it's an English Heritage scheduled monument and also considered to be one of the most impressive stone circles on Dartmoor. See also Legendary Dartmoor: Dartmoor's Fernworthy Stone. Unfortunately, there is little accurate dating evidence for the monuments on Dartmoor which is largely due to the fact that the necessary organic remains used for dating have not survived in the acid soils. At the time only 4 stones remained standing whilst another 21 were lying roughly in place. 10White p. 4 These are all under a metre in height, and the ring measures about 8 metres in diameter. BC at 95.4% probability).19 There is no dating evidence for the stone circle itself and it seems most likely that the stone circle and stone rows were built much later in the Neolithic on a site that had been in use much earlier in the late Mesolithic. Park at Batworthy Corner by the bridge to Batworthy Farm taking care not to obstruct the turning circle for the local school bus. Dewerstone to Ivybridge on the Dartmoor Way. You come to a second wall leading from the forest on the left, and there is a gate and stile to use in crossing it. The Mesolithic (c. 10000 - 4500 BC) or "middle" Stone Age is predominantly a hunter-gather period but it signifies the start of the transition to farming. Turner, J.R., Ring Cairns, stone circles and related monuments on Dartmoor, D.A.S.P. The remains of 24 stone roundhouses survive here, within a massive boundary wall about 150 metres in diameter. 7Gerrard p. 26 Join us for a virtual walk through Dartmoor stone circles. The early Stone Age hunter-gather period, the Palaeolithic, encompasses around 99% of human history. WHAT TO WEAR/BRING: Sturdy walking boots; warm layers; sunscreen; waterproof jacket and trousers (whatever the forecast); walking poles if you have them;drink/flask and snacks and picnic lunch. Newman points out that specifying a precise time period is misleading since the practices that define the Neolithic period varies in "their occurence, intensity and chronology depending on what region of Britain, or indeed of europe, one examines". It's a double stone row separated by a leat which is 263 metres long. The stone circles and many, if not most, of the stone rows would have been constructed long before this period of settlement. Continue up the hill and along the grassy bridle path aiming for the top of the hill ahead of you. Source: The current condition of many of the Dartmoor stone circles owes much to the work of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee (D.E.C.) The Dartmoor stone circles are around 20-40 metres in diameter and typically consist of small stones enclosing a flat interior located on very gently inclined slopes. The walks featured are all based on the use of public transport, see Guide to Public Transport. The path takes you steeply up and out into less dense woodland, in season bluebells carpet the area. 117 January 2014. Scorhill Stone Circle is now the commonly known name for Gidleigh Stone Circle or Steep Hill Stone Circle, one of Devon's biggest and most intact stone circl. The longest is the Stall Moor stone row which stretches for 3.1 km from The Dancers (Upper Erme) cairn circle over rough terrain with stones going up and down gullies all the way to a cairn on Green Hill. It would not be difficult to produce accurate circular structures with a peg and a rope yet only the Scorhill, Little Hound Tor and the two Grey Wethers circles are close to being exact circles, the others having the appearance of having been laid out roughly by eye. late Neolithic and early Bronze Age (to see both Cut Hill Stone Row and Whitehorse Hill Cist in relation to Grey Wethers, see Monuments within 4km of Grey Wethers or alternatively easier to see via Monuments within 4km of Quintins Man Cairn). These hunter-gathers came and went with the successive ice ages during the Palaeolithic period. The Grey Wethers is the only example of a pair of stone circles on Dartmoor with two circles of approximately the same size separated by about 6m with centres forming an almost exact north-south axis, the stones all being over 1m in height. There are taller stones at each end. Published April 4, 2022. Newman p. 26 refers to c 4000 BC - 2000 BC. FEE: 35 per adult including a coffee and pastry for breakfast to encourage an early start! The gate is locked but there is a stile here and as you climb it you will see, ahead of you over the fields, the tower of Gidleigh Church. Distance 10km. Stringer, Chris Homo Britannicus - The Incredible Story of Human Life in Britain (Penguin, 2006) Turn left out of the car park and follow the road up towards the village. Thank you. There are a large number of settlements consisting of "hut circles" which can be seen all over Dartmoor except on the highest moorland. The path takes you through the woods to an open clearing and vehicle turning area where the footpath sign indicates your way to a lane under some large Beech trees. Group size is limited so pre-booking is essential. This excludes the numerous cairn circles and hut circles on Dartmoor. Lethbridge pp.16-18, diagram 16.Nearby sites: SX55367464, Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Scorhill Stone CircleOS Map: SX 65458 87399NMR record: SX 68 NE 26HER record: 6122Megalithic Portal: 540PMD: Scorhill Stone CircleShort Name: SC ScorhillButler map: 38.8Turner: G6DPD: 146Dimensions (m): 27.0Notes: One of the most impressive stone circles on Dartmoor and one of the few that has not been restored. Two settlements are thought to be early Neolithic, these are found on the hilltops of White Tor and Dewerstone. In the case of Shovel Down the excavation of the nearby Roundy Pound showed evidence of iron working and the extensive reave and field system in the area between Shovel Down and Kestor would suggest the area was occupied during the late Bronze Age and through to the Iron Age.21, Whilst specific dating evidence of Dartmoor Stone Circles is lacking there is evidence from other archaeological excavations which might throw some light on the context of the stone circles. It is possible that these stones constitute the remains of a stone circle however, no such feature is noted in the antiquarian records so it must remain a doubtful site". It is reputed that any adult who passed through the hole would be cured of rheumatism. Worth, R.H. Worth's Dartmoor (David & Charles, 1971), Wessex Archaeology Time Team Report: Tottiford Reservoir, Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results. There are hundreds of stone circles in the British Isles that have survived mostly in the highland areas.3 It is very likely that there were many more which have not survived due to clearance and there is evidence that in some areas such structures were constructed of wood. At the time only 9 stones remained standing in the north circle and 7 in the south circle. The stone circle functioned as a burial chamber, although the cairn has since been robbed and the cist - burial chamber - destroyed. The East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve and Bovey Valley holds many clues and can tell many stories about our ancestors' lives in the area. The pollen records show that after the last ice age Dartmoor initially became a heath land and was becoming woodland at around 10,000 years ago (i.e. These early farmers are thought to have used wooden shelters and no evidence remains of their settlements. RISK: Walks and activities are at your own risk. Belstone Circular Walk. 18See, Emmett, D.D., Stone rows: the traditional view reconsidered, D.A.S.P. Day 1 - Saturday 9th June : We will meet at Peartree, Ashburton at 9 am and carshare, or you have the . Baring-Gould in his A Book of Dartmoor (pp.53-55) published in 1900 gives a catalogue of sites that had been severely robbed in living memory. Parking is limited on Dartmoor. Join us for a stunning walk to Langstone Moor stone circle. The Merrivale circle consists of 11 stones which are smaller than those at Fernworthy. The length of the 2 fallen stones at the southern end is 2.6m and 2.4m". It is 20m in diameter and consists of 27 small stones. Parking is limited on Dartmoor. 22Fyfe, Ralph M. & Greeves, Tom (2010) The stone circle measures 25 meters in diameter and is denoted by five upright granite slabs, standing up to 1.45 meters high, which are confined to its south western sector. Now continue over the hill walking parallel with the edge of the forest on your left using one of the well-defined paths. 24Eogan, George & Simmons, J.G. Nearby homes similar to 360 NE Hawk Cir have recently sold between $300K to $300K at an average of $180 per square foot. There are a number of monuments on Dartmoor that are often referred to by authors as stone circles but are not strictly categorised as stone circles. Walk through an ancient and ritual Dartmoor landscape. Lydford Gorge Walk 3. Payments are refunded (less the booking fee) for cancellations no less than six weeks before your walk or experience. Older children 16+ years are welcome if they have sufficient walking experience and fitness. Extract from the Second Report of the D.E.C. The walk covers a lot of moorland and prehistory and provides some awesome views. We will stop and spend time at each stone circle depending on our group pace. What3Words - https://w3w.co/broker.pigs.sandbags. Haytor is the most famous of these rocks. Bullet holes can be seen on the Langstone standing stone and the circle was sadly smashed to smithereens. Click here for more information on cookies and our Privacy Notice. They found that the interior of the circle was covered in a layer of charcoal suggesting that it had been the scene of very many fires - perhaps funeral pyres or feasts. Near the idyllic village of Chagford, Fernworthy Reservoir is an archaeological jewel in the heart of Dartmoor National Park. The only stone circle to be excavated since the days of the D.E.C is the Tottiford stone circle which is normally submerged under Tottiford reservoir. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. For photos of this site, see: Megalithic Portal: Down Ridge - Stone CircleNearby sites: SX655127208, Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Fernworthy Stone CircleOS Map: SX 65486 84126NMR record: SX 68 SE 56HER record: 6534Megalithic Portal: 530PMD: Fernworthy Stone CircleShort Name: SC FernworthTurner: G13DPD: 138Dimensions (m): 19.3Notes: The Fernworthy circle is part of a group of ceremonial monuments including 3 stone rows and 5 cairns that may once have rivalled Merrivale and Shovel Down as ceremonial centres. National Grid Reference: SX5329 7512. Clearly many, if not most, of settlement remains that can be seen today post date the stone rows but it is possible that many of these were built on sites or in localities which had been occupied for generations or even millenia before hand. Click here to view our full cancellation Policy. 1014 Dartmoor Pl. Around 1700BC there was a major influx of settlers into Dartmoor. At the next signpost you turn left up into the trees, signposted Mariners Way. Dartmoor has a particularly rich abundance of settlements, monuments and ritual sites dating from prehistoric times. Pub Stop: Converted into a tavern in 1832 and named in honour of a local logan stone, The Rugglestone Inn is the perfect journey's end for a weary wayfarer. After going through the wall turn down to the right instead of carrying on to the large Teignhead Clapper Bridge but go down the slope to the small clapper foot bridge over the steam. The sites featured are archaeological treasures and most are protected by the law, please treat these sites with respect! In 2012 tin beads were discovered when the Whitehorse Hill cist was excavated which perhaps for the first time gives an indication of tin working on Dartmoor during the Bronze Age16. Creaber moor gate in Gidleigh. The tallest of the stones is over 8 feet high. Carry on down the other side of the hill along the wide grassy path until you reach a small bridge over a leat. No dating evidence was found but pollen analysis suggested the row and accompanying cairn circle had been built in a forest clearing.24, The exact purpose of stone circles remains unknown. Older children 16+ years are welcome if they have sufficient walking experience and fitness. A short arc of seven stones remains in position on the south-east of the circle. Vol. Dartmoor sits upon a granite plateau, and occasionally bare granite "peaks" (called tors) break through the heather. 20Gerrard p.25, Baring-Gould, S A Book of Dartmoor (Halsgrove, 2002) 90 m. 90 m. Easy hike. 2018-04-04 15:30:28. We will stop and spend time at each stone circle (as well as the Whitehorse Hill burial chamber of the Bronze Age Tin Priestess/Princess) for anywhere between 10-20 minutes each depending on our pace. Fernworthy was excavated in 1897. We have found that circular walks are the most well-loved, so here we have a large number for you to choose from! It would seem that most major prehistoric settlements on Dartmoor would have had their own monuments just as most villages in the historic period would have a local church, a centre for religious, ceremonial and social gatherings. Use Ordnance Survey Map of Dartmoor OL 28 1:25,000. A further 12 recumbent stones lie where they have fallen." from the northeast side and 0.3m high, is angled towards the circle and may be quite unassociated". In the 1970s a new dimension was added, with the recognition that the long-ignored reaves (ruined walls) are also prehistoric; Dartmoor now posed all sorts of questions about the .