Summary

Stone hut circle settlement 210m south west of Heneward.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 9 December 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument, which falls into three areas, includes a stone hut circle settlement situated on Harpur’s Downs between two tributaries to the River Camel. The settlement includes three separate stone hut circles which survive differentially but have circular interiors of 5.8m up to 9m in diameter defined by rubble banks of up to 1.5m wide and 0.4m high.

Further archaeological remains in the vicinity are not included in the scheduling because they have not been formally assessed.

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. Despite reduction in the heights of the walls through agricultural activities the stone hut circle settlement 210m south west of Heneward survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, development, longevity, the relative chronologies of the buildings and their functions, agricultural practices, domestic arrangements and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape Monument No:-617296

Source: Historic England