Thank you. It is interesting to note that 7 (now 8, see below) of these stone circles form an arc, or crescent, with each site separated by around 2 kilometres, they are; Grey Wethers (2 circles), Fernworthy, Shovel Down, Scorhill, Buttern Hill and Little Hound Tor (White Moor). Pre-war photos give a sense of how spectacular this site used to be. The walks featured are all based on the use of public transport, see Guide to Public Transport. The walks featured are all based on the use of public transport, see Guide to Public Transport. This row runs due east-west and is about 260 metres long. These are all under a metre in height, and the ring measures about 8 metres in diameter. Langstone Moor stone circle was restored in 1894. Whilst stone circles are not unique to the British Isles the examples in the rest of Europe are typically later and smaller and usually surround burial mounds, the exception being stone circles in Brittany which are similar to those found in the south-west peninsular of England and probably have the same cultural roots2. Burl, Aubrey The Stone Circles of the British Isles (Yale University Press, 1976) White Moor (Little Hound Tor) circle was restored in 1896. 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 Legend of Grey Wethers On the south eastern slopes of Sittaford Tor, are two broken stone circles formed of thirty rough blocks of granite. The path takes you steeply up and out into less dense woodland, in season bluebells carpet the area. Prehistoric Dartmoor (David & Charles, 1974) Lethbridge p14, diagram p13.Nearby sites: SX55647820, Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Little Hound Tor Stone CircleOS Map: SX 63285 89611NMR record: SX 68 NW 2HER record: 4374Megalithic Portal: 528PMD: White Moor Stone CircleShort Name: SC White MoorTurner: G11DPD: 154Dimensions (m): 20.2Notes: The circle is in good condition today but only 13 stones remained standing when the Dartmoor Exploration Committee re-erected 5 of the stones in 1896. 14Gerrard p.37 The climate on the moor can be unforgiving, so the centre of the site is often flooded and boggy. Scorhill Stone Circle. 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. After Kestor Rock the route back to Batworthy Corner and your vehicle is down a well-worn path over the grassy slopes. 13For more on the Cut Hill stone row see Gerrard, Sandy Dartmoor (Batsford & English Heritage, 1997) Jones, Marchand, Sheridan, Straker, Quinnell Excavations at the Whitehorse Hill cist, Dartmoor PAST - the newsletter of the Prehistoric Society, Number 70 p.14-16 (April 2012) The best known of many prehistoric settlements on Dartmoor, Grimspound dates from the late Bronze Age (about 1450-700 BC). Once you pass the end of the forest carry on up the hill and at the top of the hill you hill come across a cross roads in the path where the double stone comes up from your left and crosses your way. These small sharp microliths were used in arrow heads and as cutting and boring tools to work bone, antlers and leather. It gave way after the last ice age, around 12 thousand years ago, to a gradual move towards farming - the Mesolithic or middle stone age period. These areas would rapidly become infertile and would be abandoned to re-grow. Lethbridge pp.139-145, diagram p.139.Nearby sites: SX65838620, OS Map: SX 63017 82814NMR record: HER record: 110432Megalithic Portal: 35327PMD: Sittaford TorShort Name: SC SittafordDimensions (m): 34.0Notes: Discovered by Alan Endacott in 2007 as described in Devon Archaeological Society Newsletter No. Normally it is submerged within the reservoir. Older children 16+ years are welcome if they have sufficient walking experience and fitness. The charcoal deposits in the soil of this period provide evidence that Dartmoor was deforested due to fire. Inside the pound are the remains of several walls connecting between the central hut and the outer wall. 16Baring-Gould, Fourth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, T.D.A. 20Newman (2011) p.25, Gerrard (1997) p.24 RISK: Walks and activities are at your own risk. Summer like heat to freezing snow. 2. Start Moretonhampstead. Through open moorland and wooded valleys, taking in wild swimming rivers, ancient stone circles and monuments. The Dartmoor Walks website suggests a few walks for those interested in visiting the ancient settlements and antiquities such as stone rows and stone circles on Dartmoor. apart and from 0.3m. 1 min walk (0.1 mi) POINCIANA CIRCULATOR. The stone circles of Dartmoor are parochial and small in character in contrast to the grand regional circles at Stanton Drew and Avesbury. In A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany Aubrey Burl (1995) there are 368 stone circles listed in the British Isles with 21 listed for Dartmoor, 13 of which would be considered cairn circles. Later Neolithic farmers were more proficient in agriculture and started deliberately clearing large areas of forest for agricultural use. 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. Pettit, Paul Prehistoric Dartmoor (David & Charles, 1974) See also Legendary Dartmoor: Merrivale Ceremonial Complex. Continue down the hill to Gidleigh Cross junction where there is a welcome seat by the grassy triangle at SX672 883. Use Ordnance Survey Map of Dartmoor OL 28 1:25,000. Take a look at the circular walks you can do here. Easy. 22Fyfe, Ralph M. & Greeves, Tom (2010) In terms of funerary practise it should be pointed out that cists often have cremation remains and they are widely distributed, often very distant from stone circles, although they could reflect later cultural practise. Bate, C Spence, On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor, T.D.A. Join us for a virtual walk through Dartmoor stone circles. Belstone Circular Walk. Park at Batworthy Corner by the bridge to Batworthy Farm taking care not to obstruct the turning circle for the local school bus. 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 . Both circles have 30 stones. Sleepy spot on the edge of Dartmoor. 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. The Neolithic famers were more permanently settled than their Mesolithic predecessors. Video posnetek. 1,652 Sq. Walk through meadows, woodland and moorland, and take in the fascinating cultural heritage of ancient stone cairns, Bronze Age hut circles and submerged clapper bridges, while enjoying beautiful lakeside views. Payments are refunded (less the booking fee) for cancellations no less than six weeks before your walk or experience. The stone circles and many, if not most, of the stone rows would have been constructed long before this period of settlement. Creaber moor gate in Gidleigh. Tools from these early periods have been found on Dartmoor including eleven hand axes found at Tavistock and in 1931 Worth found a flint implement of Palaeolithic type on Brent Moor3. By continuing to use the site, you agree to cookies being used. All river crossings are over bridges. It takes place on the weekend of 9 and 10 June. A number of the ceremonial centres include stone circles, stone rows and cist burials which suggests the stone circles are roughly contemporaneous with the culture that practised cist burials, although many of the cist burials could have been later. Dartmoor Walks & Experiences Dartmoor's Daughter - Walks & Nature Connection Experiences on Dartmoor, Devon We use cookies to help us improve, promote, and protect our services. Two settlements are thought to be early Neolithic, these are found on the hilltops of White Tor and Dewerstone. Head back round Batworthy Corner to take a look at the Round Pound. In Devon the earliest known site used by these people is at Kent's Cavern in Torquay. The path takes you down hill into the woods and continues downhill left at another signpost to the North Teign River, which you cross by way of a wooden footbridge SX671 875. Some of the stone circles seen on the moor are believed to have been for purely ceremonial purposes. We have found that circular walks are the most well-loved, so here we have a large number for you to choose from! The current condition of many of the Dartmoor stone circles owes much to the work of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee (D.E.C.) 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". Source: In addition three pits were also dug; "the whole of these gave the same indications of charcoal - the remnants of fires of wood; in fact, fires seem to have been kindled all over the circle, for every scoop of the pick and shovel displayed charcoal.". Newman (2011) refers to 12 circles with "some other doubtful examples" (presumably Shovel Down being considered a doubtful circle). Scorhill Circle is arguably the most impressive stone circle having the largest stones, one of which is over 8 feet in height. Mesolithic tools are very distinctive consisting of much smaller flint tools than found during the Palaeolithic. According to Burnard, "all the stones, some of which are five to six feet long to the number of sixteen had fallen the whole of these have been set up in the pits in which they originally stood". 10White p. 4 Payments are refunded (less the booking fee) for cancellations no less than six weeks before your walk or experience. from the northeast side and 0.3m high, is angled towards the circle and may be quite unassociated". 94-114 (1979) This is a memorial to the Dartmoor author, Harry Starkey. An associated outlying standing stone is located 85 meters south-east of the stone circle and survives as a triangular shaped block up to 0.86 meters high." In fact a sketch of the Shovel Down rows made by Wilkinson in 1860 marks and illustrates "stones" at the location of the stone circle. 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. The Scorhill and Grey Wethers stone circles are some of the best preserved examples. Dartmoor sits upon a granite plateau, and occasionally bare granite "peaks" (called tors) break through the heather. It is thought that the reconstruction is fairly accurate. Butler, J. Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Vol. The lads of . Gerrard suggests Brisworthy stone circle could possibly be a ring cairn as a "low rubble bank, some 2.5m (8ft 2in) wide surrounds 75 per cent of the circumference"9 although Butler suggests this is probably a later feature.10, There is a possibility according to the investigations of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee that the Merrivale and Langstone Moor stone circles originally consisted of two concentric circles. Opportunity to find Pixies House or Piskies House Cave. A moderate walk with one steep hill taking in woodland, ancient ruins and scenic views Distance: nearly 5 miles (over moorland and road, one . The footpath is part of the Two Moors Way with the distinctive MW sign on the finger-post indicating the way to Gidleigh and the Mariners Way, another long distance path Mariners Way is an ancient trackway supposed to have taken its name from the sailors who founded it. 48 pp. The stone circle stands near the confluence of the North Teign River with its tributary the Wallabrook. Two days of mindful walking and connecting with the energies and ancestors of the moor, visiting tors, interacting with sacred sites such as stone circles and stone rows, plus simulacra, holed stones. 19Butler Vol. Pettit, Paul. In contrast the nearly complete Fernworthy circle consists of 27 stones averaging just over 0.5m in height with the largest being 1.1m tall. After signing off a boat in Dartmouth, they would trek across the peninsula to sign on with another boat at Bideford. This will lead you up to the impressive double stone rows on the hillside. There are 15 stone circles included in the Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks database, click here to skip to the listings with links to further coverage and photos. An excavation trench was dug right across the circle and was found "strewn with small pieces of wood charcoal". The Grey Wethers were restored in 1909 by Burnard. 9Gerrard (1997) p.61 Belstone is an attractive village on the northern fringe of Dartmoor National Park. . If you have a cold, flu, cough, temperature or are diagnosed with COVID-19 please do not join the walk. The route from the farm is an easy track back north east to the magnificent Teignhead Clapper Bridge and your way takes you back diagonally across the slope to go through the wall that you crossed earlier leading from the forest down to Manga Clapper Bridge. Newman, Phil The Field Archaeology of Dartmoor (English Heritage, 2011) "Nine of the original stones are still standing, plus one larger stone which is incorporated in the remains of the old wall which bisects the western extremity of the circle. 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 snack or picnic lunch. There are great views of the site from Hookney Tor and the high ground on Hameldown. On your right there is a gateway into a field, one of the gateposts is a good example of the old five bar gateways with an upside down L socketed granite post to take the bars from the opposite gatepost prior to the introduction of the modern fivebar gates. We have found that circular walks are the most well-loved, so here we have a large number for you to choose from! Hazel, oak and elm appear in the pollen record and by 7000 BC most of Dartmoor is wooded up to tree line at around 1500ft (460 metres) 10 and remained relatively undisturbed woodland until about 5000 BC. This has some similarity with the Shovel Down Ceremonial Complex which has stone rows and a stone circle which are thought to date to the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age (approx 2500-1300 B.C.). Hiking to its summit offers unforgettable views and a rewarding king-of-the-mountain feeling. There has been considerable interest, not only in Devon, in the announcement this year of a recently discovered stone circle high on Dartmoor. We also recommend bringing personal masks, a pair of disposable gloves, and a personal first aid kit. Group size is limited so pre-booking is essential. 1Burl (1976) p.11 They often form part of a larger ceremonial complex that includes stone rows, burial chambers, and standing stones. 8Burl p344-5 & Turner pp.80-2 For a photo of this site, see: Megalithic Portal: Buttern E - Stone CircleNearby sites: SX64958848, OS Map: SX 65516 72084NMR record: SX 67 SE 64HER record: 6400Megalithic Portal: 863PMD: Down Ridge Stone CircleShort Name: SC DownRidgeTurner: G9DPD: 92Dimensions (m): 25.0Notes: Also known as Hexworthy Circle. Once you leave Round Pound continue north-east along the lane over the cattle grid and downhill along the wooded lane passing Brimstonedown on your left to the sharp right hand bend in the lane. Worth (1953) lists 11 circles but this was prior to the discovery of the Sourton Tors circle in 1966 and does not include Mardon (perhaps not considered on the moor) or Shovel Down although he does refer to it as a "stone circle?" HAZELL SILLVER met archaeologist Andy Crabb to find out more about these Dartmoor Walk- Sheeps Tor, Down Tor, and a Pixie House Adventure. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "ringmoordown" Flickr tag. (2010). The Grey Wethers, Brisworthy and White Moor (Little Hound Tor) circles were all restored and are impressive although they have smaller stones than Scorhill. 4Newman p.24 Fascinating Fact: Widecombe-in-the-Moor was a location used during the filming of Steven Spielberg's epic war drama War Horse. Includes meditations, chanting and dowsing, silent walking, and an evening event to see the sunset. As soon as you enter the trees the path takes you up and slightly to the right past a large moss covered rock. Some cairn circles are found terminating stone rows, good examples being those found at Down Tor and the 2 mile long double stone row on the Erme plain. The monuments were probably built over a long period of time in the Bronze Age, between 2500BC and 1000BC Lydford Gorge Walk 3. I'm not kidding when I say I experienced all the seasons during the hike to these stones. CANCELLATION: The event will go ahead come rain or shine. Our circular route includes majestic tors with 360 degree views of moor and ocean, the ruins of a Bronze Age settlement, ancient stone row and burial chambers. Fallen menhirs and ruined stone rows and circles were re-constructed with varying degrees of accuracy. At the end of the plantation turn left and only a few hundred yards will bring you to Batworthy Corner and your vehicle. 5Petit p.14 Once you have reached the point where a second stone row joins the main row your turn westwards and across the open Shovel Down to take a look at the extensive ruins of the mediaeval settlement remains. Worth, although not confirmed since, there was "a small cairn between five and six yards in from the southern edge" and also there is a companion circle a short distance on the slope westward, 60 feet in diameter consisting of four stones with a possible large central pillar, see T.D.A. Sale, Richard Dartmoor the Official National Park Guide (Pevensey Press, 2000) A cairn lies close to the circle, a heather covered mound about 8.5m across. Legendary Dartmoor: Dartmoor's Prehistoric Langstone Moor, Little Hound Tor (or White Moor) Stone Circle, Dartmoor Site: Little Hound Tor Stone Circle, Legendary Dartmoor: Dartmoor's Bronze Age Landscape of Whitmoor, Dartmoor Site: Mardon Down Stone Circle & Cairns, Dartmoor Site: Merrivale Ceremonial Complex [Photo Set 2], Legendary Dartmoor: Merrivale Ceremonial Complex, Legendary Dartmoor: Scorhill Stone Circle, Dartmoor Site: Shovel Down Ceremonial Complex, Megalithic Portal: Shovel Down NW stone circle, Megalithic Portal: Sourton Tors Stone Circle. Click here for more information on cookies and our Privacy Notice. Dartmoor is home to an impressive number of stone circles and rows. DISTANCE: 4.5 miles (medium difficulty) If you cancel after the six weeks, we would advise you please try to resell/pass on your ticket and/or we can try to re-sell your ticket (we sometimes have a waitlist although there is no guarantee) we can then offer a credit note for the ticket price (minus the 1 booking fee and minus a 5 admin fee). . Gerrard, Sandy, English Heritage Book of Dartmoor: Landscapes Through Time, (1997) 90 m. 90 m. Easy hike. In large part this is due to the fact that excavation is an inherently destructive process and in modern times there have to be very good reasons to proceed with excavations. 7Worth (1953) On Shoveldown see p. 221, on stone circles see pp.248-264 The existence of groups of circles adds intrigue to the unknown purpose of stone circles. There are around 500014 'hut circles' on Dartmoor and it is estimated that the population on the moor would have been around 10,000 at its peak. 12See for example; Worth, Petit, Gerrard, Butler, Newman The Buttern Hill and Tottiford circles are in valleys where as the Mardon circle is on the summit of a large hill. These are thought to mostly date from the Bronze Age although it is thought that some could be late Neolithic or built on earlier Neolithic sites. 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. Lethbridge p.101, diagram p.99 and p.100.Nearby sites: SX63957319, Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Shovel Down Ceremonial ComplexOS Map: SX 65829 86196NMR record: SX 68 NE 47HER record: 29944Megalithic Portal: 1259PMD: Shovel Down Stone CircleShort Name: SC Shovel DownButler map: 36.6Turner: G15DPD: 139Dimensions (m): 16Notes: "The remains of an alleged stone circle lie on the gentle NE facing slope of Shovel Down 200m SW of Batworthy Corner. The Dartmoor stone circles are mostly of a similar local character and do not include characteristics such as central pillars found in some of the circles in Cornwall such as Boscawen-Un. 10Butler (1997) p.145 The walk covers a lot of moorland and prehistory and provides some awesome views. Karin Murray-Bergquist. CANCELLATION: The event will go ahead come rain or shine. Behind you are fine views away to east Devon. My walk starts from the Pork Hill car park on the B3357, and heads for Staple Tor with its rock towers, then nearby Roos Tor and across a wild stretch of moorland to the Langstone Moor stone circle. The length of the 2 fallen stones at the southern end is 2.6m and 2.4m". Two Dartmoor National Park Authority stonemasons are recutting the lettering on the Ten Commandments Stone at Buckland Beacon, a well-known landmark. Dartmoor has a particularly rich abundance of settlements, monuments and ritual sites dating from prehistoric times. A further 12 recumbent stones lie where they have fallen." The path leads you to the left side of the drift lane and to the left wall corner as you go out onto the moors. In poor visibility, especially on the Teignhead section of this walk a map and compass is essential. Haytor is the most famous of these rocks. Length: Choice of a 5-mile walks or a 10-mile walk Start point: Car park at Belstone Village Car Park SX621 938. Take the left fork where the modern standing stone . high. The evidence of human activity on Dartmoor during the Mesolithic is from flint scatters around the moors, including finds on Runnage and Ringhill near Postbridge5, Langstone Moor, East Week, Batworthy and Gidleigh Common6. A new walking route, Hisley Heritage Walk, has been designed to encourage people to become historians as they follow a five kilometre trail through Hisley Wood.

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