Details

The monument includes a round cairn lying on the summit of White Ridge
situated within Great Stannon Newtake. The cairn lies in a very prominent
position and commands extensive views over much of Dartmoor. The mound
measures 15.8m in diameter and stands up to 0.7m high. A number of edge set
stones on the southern edge of the mound may represent a kerb, which survives
elsewhere as a buried feature. Three pits in the mound suggest robbing or
partial early excavation.

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. Round cairns are prehistoric funerary
monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as
earthen or rubble mounds, the latter predominating in areas of upland Britain
where such raw materials were locally available in abundance. Round cairns may
cover single or multiple burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer
ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in
the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a
monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and
social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are
particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of
surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. Dartmoor provides one
of the best preserved and most dense concentrations of round cairns in south-
western Britain.

Despite evidence for partial excavation, the round cairn on White Ridge lying
570m north of the source of Stannon Brook survives well and forms an outlying
part of a notable ritual area centred around the stone circles known as The
Grey Wethers. Archaeological and related environmental information survives
within this monument. In broader terms the monument also provides a valuable
insight into Bronze Age funerary and ritual activity as well as providing
information concerning territorial control on the Moor.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Title: Duchy Farms Report - Great Stannon Newtake
Source Date: 1990
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
1:10,000 Map

Source: Historic England