Ancient Monuments

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Stone hut circle 975m WSW of West Castick Farm

A Scheduled Monument in North Hill, Cornwall

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Coordinates

Latitude: 50.5632 / 50°33'47"N

Longitude: -4.4694 / 4°28'9"W

OS Eastings: 225205.645989

OS Northings: 76631.916112

OS Grid: SX252766

Mapcode National: GBR NF.FXFF

Mapcode Global: FRA 17JK.W2D

Entry Name: Stone hut circle 975m WSW of West Castick Farm

Scheduled Date: 4 December 1992

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1012046

English Heritage Legacy ID: 15178

County: Cornwall

Civil Parish: North Hill

Traditional County: Cornwall

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Cornwall

Church of England Parish: North Hill

Church of England Diocese: Truro

Details

The monument includes a stone hut circle situated near other broadly
contemporary hut circles on the north-western lower slope of the Hawkstor
Downs on eastern Bodmin Moor.
The hut circle survives with a turf-covered wall of heaped rubble, up to 1.5m
wide and 0.6m high, around a circular interior area, 8m in diameter, levelled
into the hillslope. The wall incorporates spaced boulders and occasional inner
facing slabs in its construction. This is one of five similar hut circles on
this hillslope forming a small Prehistoric settlement, the other hut circles
being situated beyond this monument, centred from 16m to 75m away to the
south, SW and west.
The modern post-and-wire fence is excluded from the scheduling but the ground
beneath it is included.

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

Bodmin Moor, the largest of the Cornish granite uplands, has long been
recognised to have exceptional preservation of archaeological remains. The
Moor has been the subject of detailed archaeological survey and is one of the
best recorded upland landscapes in England. The extensive relict landscapes of
prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval date provide direct evidence for human
exploitation of the Moor from the earliest prehistoric period onwards. The
well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, field
systems, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains
provides significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land
use through time. Stone hut circles were the dwelling places of prehistoric
farmers on the Moor, mostly dating from the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). The
stone-based round houses survive as low walls or banks enclosing a circular
floor area; remains of a turf or thatch roof are not preserved. The huts occur
singly or in small or large groups and may occur in the open or be enclosed by
a bank of earth and stone. Although they are common on the Moor, their
longevity of use and their relationship with other monument types provides
important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming
practices among prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative
of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.

This hut circle on the Hawkstor Downs has survived well and displays clear
details of its construction. Its proximity to other broadly contemporary hut
circles demonstrates well the nature of settlement during the Bronze Age.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Amendments & Additions, Rose, P & Herring, P, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. An Evaluation for the MPP, (1990)
consulted 1/1992, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1053,
Consulted 1/1992, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1078,
Information given by Peter Rose re discovery of PRN 3629, (1992)

Source: Historic England

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