The stone circles of the British Isles are thought to have an indigenous origin and date from around 2500 - 1300 B.C1. An additional stone, 7.5m. The churchyard is one of the few in Britain which has a stream running through it with a small bridge leading to a convenient seat, which has fine views of the nearby Gidleigh Castle ruins, on private land next to the Church. 4 p.71 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. Three upright stones, between 0.3m and 0.75m high, are visible. It would seem likely that most circles were established near population centres and sited to ensure ease of access to the whole community, they probably acted as ritual centres and perhaps also a place for community gatherings much like a local church or town hall. Teign Gorge Walk 7. This excludes the numerous cairn circles and hut circles on Dartmoor. Particularly fine examples include the Nine Stones on Belstone Common, the Soussons Common cairn circle and a fine cairn circle on Mardon Down. It is worth a brief detour to turn right here to visit to lovely standing stone known the Three Boys with its parish boundary marks of the Gidleigh Parish (GP) and the Duchy of Cornwall (DC) lands. 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. 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. Dartmoor Walks This wonderful National Park in south Devon is a haven for walkers with miles waymarked trails. high. 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.". 13As late as 1902 Robert Burnard complained bitterly in the Transactions of the Devonshire Association that under the provisions of the Highways Act of William IV the road builders had the legal right to utilise any surface stone to repair roads and he claimed that Dartmoor monuments were still suffering as a consequence and that they had no real legal protection. 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. With such lack of precision in their construction it would seem most unlikely that they had an astronomical purpose. Today only 3 stones remain intact with 10 having been destroyed and the rest overturned during World War Two. The two close-set NE stones display smaller packing stones in the erosion hollows at their bases. Group size is limited so pre-booking is essential. See also, Legendary Dartmoor: Dartmoor's Bronze Age Landscape of Whitmoor.Nearby sites: SX63298961, Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Mardon Down Stone Circle & CairnsOS Map: SX 76764 87203NMR record: SX 78 NE 19HER record: 8289Megalithic Portal: 3376PMD: Mardon Down Stone CircleShort Name: SC Mardon DownButler Vol 5: p.148 & Fig.90Turner: G1DPD: 149Dimensions (m): 38.0Notes: Mardon Down stone circle is the biggest by circumference on Dartmoor with a diameter of 38m. 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. Clustered under the shadow of Belstone Tor just outside the village is a stone circle with a Bronze Age cist - a stone-lined burial chamber known as a kistvaen on Dartmoor - at its centre. 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. "The remains of a Bronze Age stone circle situated on level ground overlooking the valley of the North Teign River and Whitemoor Marsh. Many appear to have been located to give the most impressive vista on approach, the Buttern Hill circle would have been silhouetted on the skyline when approached from the south, on the other hand the Little Hound Tor circle when approached from the west only comes to view at a distance of 100m. The first Homo Sapiens arrived on the scene around 30,000 to 50,000 years ago and soon became the sole Homo species. All the stones are quite small but they have recently been excavated by one of the Dartmoor volunteers so they are all quite visible. It is 20m in diameter and consists of 27 small stones. Fleming, Andrew The Dartmoor Reaves (Batsford, 1988) Apparently "wether" is an old English name for sheep and legend has it that a drunken farmer leaving the Warren House Inn was persuaded that the Grey Wethers were a desirable flock for sale! 37 pp. Lethbridge p.34-35. At the end of the plantation turn left and only a few hundred yards will bring you to Batworthy Corner and your vehicle. (Devon Books, 1997) The tallest of the stones is over 8 feet high. Over Great Staple Tor. Photo: Emily Woodhouse. 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. Directions will be forwarded closer to the date. Dartmoor sits upon a granite plateau, and occasionally bare granite "peaks" (called tors) break through the heather. This is a hunter-gather period when the uplands were used as seasonal hunting grounds. 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. All river crossings are over bridges. The lane follows the woods on your left and open farmland on your right until you reach a gateway leading out onto a tarmac lane. Hound Tor - An atmospheric Tor with the remains of a deserted Medieval Village called Hundatora close by and a number of Bronze age hut circles. CANCELLATION: The event will go ahead come rain or shine. There are many double and a few triple stone rows on Dartmoor. The climate on the moor can be unforgiving, so the centre of the site is often flooded and boggy. The early Stone Age hunter-gather period, the Palaeolithic, encompasses around 99% of human history. The excavations at Fernworthy, Grey Wethers and Merrivale all produced evidence of substantial fires at the sites. 3Burl (1976) (p.8, 11) states that there are over 900 stone circles. 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. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "ringmoordown" Flickr tag. Once over the bridge you enter an oak wood where many of the trees have ferns growing out of their boughs. On the way, detour to visit the mysterious Nine Maidens stone circle, climb Winter Tor, take a river dip and enjoy the views from Cosdon Beacon. Near the idyllic village of Chagford, Fernworthy Reservoir is an archaeological jewel in the heart of Dartmoor National Park. The circle was first described by Dr Milles in 1772 who reported around 70 stones. At the time only 9 stones remained standing in the north circle and 7 in the south circle. 12Grinsell (1978) p. 86 Grid Ref: SX663868Nearest postcode is TQ138ET but Sat Nav is unlikely to get you to the exact location (it usually stops about 3/4 mile before the meeting point near the hamlet of Teigncombe) so please follow the directions which will be emailed to participants. 5727 Dartmoor Cir is a 2,136 square foot house on a 7,560 square foot lot with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The circle was excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1897. 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. Consider visiting the reservoir which has some nice bits, then head north to Walla brook which has an interesting stone with a hole in it (50.66798440203852, -3.9058846436762638) and another stone circle. Here we'll spend a short period of time in silence exploring the circle and then talk about the various archaeological and phenomenological theories of circles. Vol. Group size is limited so pre-booking is essential. These hunter-gathers came and went with the successive ice ages during the Palaeolithic period. However, it is thought that this stone row is atypical and the bulk of Dartmoor monuments date from the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age. 1014 Dartmoor Pl. 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. (The walk will finish approximately 5.00pm and lifts/taxis/minibus will be organised to take us back to the start point for approximately 5.30pm). The archaeologists define stone circles as being sites which do not contain burials and as such are thought to be purely ritual monuments. Scorhill Circle is arguably the most impressive stone circle having the largest stones, one of which is over 8 feet in height. Inside the pound are the remains of several walls connecting between the central hut and the outer wall. 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. 1,652 Sq. The lads of . 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. Wray Valley Trail This could be by design or it could be a coincidence given the wide range of orientations of Dartmoor stone rows. The Scorhill and Grey Wethers stone circles are some of the best preserved examples. 20Gerrard p.25, Baring-Gould, S A Book of Dartmoor (Halsgrove, 2002) The dig did not find specific dating evidence for the stone circle but it appeared as part of a ceremonial complex of other monuments including a double stone row which appeared to lead to a large mound. 14Bate (1872), see Report on the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor Newman (2011) refers to 12 circles with "some other doubtful examples" (presumably Shovel Down being considered a doubtful circle). As you stand at the clapper there is a small boulder only a few yards away from the bridge that has a cross inscribed on it and a few worn words. 10White p. 4 Arc formed by eight stone circles (Sittaford in blue) See also: Map of Dartmoor Stone Circles. 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. 2256 Meadow Oak Cir is a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. There are 34 stones remaining, 23 standing and 11 fallen, though these only account for a portion of the circle. Once through the wall carry on with the forest on your right side along the wide well defined bridle path running parallel with the forest but a hundred yards from it. It is now a boundary marker. If you have a cold, flu, cough, temperature or are diagnosed with COVID-19 please do not join the walk. Vol. Continue up the steep hill passing a house on the right. The Best Walks In Dartmoor National Park Covid19 Hikers' Tips 1. The circle is marked on Ordnance Survey . This would suggest Dartmoor was first exploited by humans in the Lower Palaeolithic although the evidence is weak. 1. I haven't MARIGOLD AVE AND STEPPING STONE BLVD. No liability accepted for accidents or incidents. around 8000 BC). Parking is limited on Dartmoor. This 5.5 mile circular walk takes you from the village of Belstone, past intriguing Irish Man's Wall, over the hill and across a ford to Taw Plain. The circle is 26.8m (88 feet) across. 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. Breton, Henry Hugh, Beautiful Dartmoor And Its Interesting Antiquities, (1990) Thank you. 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?" Around 1 million years ago Britain was connected to the continent and the first humans arrived in Britain. The stone circle measures 24.8 metres in diameter and is denoted by five upright granite slabs standing up to 0.76 metres high. 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". The Buttern Hill and Tottiford circles are in valleys where as the Mardon circle is on the summit of a large hill. Parking is limited on Dartmoor. . 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. As soon as you enter the trees the path takes you up and slightly to the right past a large moss covered rock. Distance 10km. At the time only 9 stones remained standing in the north circle and 7 in the south circle. Through open moorland and wooded valleys, taking in wild swimming rivers, ancient stone circles and monuments. 2. The stone circle was partially excavated in 1904 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee and their work revealed the original ground surface covered with charcoal. 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). Fernworthy was excavated in 1897. Reproduced with kind permission - copyright remains with Zoe.Nearby sites: SX81108316, Dartmoor Resource: Guide to Dartmoor Cists, Extract from Second Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, Monuments within 4km of Quintins Man Cairn, The Disappearing Stone Monuments of Dartmoor, Report on the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor, Fourth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, Fifth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, The date and context of a stone row: Cut Hill, Dartmoor, south-west England, Excavations at the Whitehorse Hill cist, Dartmoor, Legendary Dartmoor: Dartmoor's Brisworthy Circle, Megalithic Portal: Buttern E - Stone Circle, Megalithic Portal: Down Ridge - Stone Circle, Legendary Dartmoor: Dartmoor's Fernworthy Stone, Dartmoor Site: Grey Wethers Double Stone Circle, Dartmoor Site: Langstone Moor Stone Circle, Stone Row & Settlements.