The Grey Wethers were restored in 1909 by Burnard. We will stop and spend time at each stone circle (as well as the Whitehorse Hill burial chamber of the Bronze Age Tin Priestess/Princess) for anywhere between 10-20 minutes each depending on our pace. Hiking to its summit offers unforgettable views and a rewarding king-of-the-mountain feeling. 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. 14Gerrard p.37 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Baring-Gould, Sabine, Fourth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, T.D.A. See also, Legendary Dartmoor: Grey WethersNearby sites: SX63878312, Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Langstone Moor Stone Circle, Stone Row & SettlementsOS Map: SX 55638 78204NMR record: SX 57 NE 13HER record: 4226Megalithic Portal: 1062PMD: Langstone Moor Stone CircleShort Name: SC LangstoneButler map: 30.10Turner: G10DPD: 14Dimensions (m): 20.4Notes: The Langstone standing stone and also the stone circle were used for target practice by American troops who were stationed nearby during the Second World War. There are taller stones at each end. The excavations at Fernworthy, Grey Wethers and Merrivale all produced evidence of substantial fires at the sites. With such lack of precision in their construction it would seem most unlikely that they had an astronomical purpose. These are thought to have been used as places of ritual or burial, and the largest of these is the Bronze Age stone circle at Merrivale. RISK: Walks and activities are at your own risk. Just a brief walk from the town square lay the moor . Route is dependent on weather conditions and group pace. Telegraph: Ancient stones older than Stonehenge discovered on Dartmoor and BBC: Stone row sheds new light on Dartmoor prehistoric life. There was a rapid decrease in woodland cover at this time. Payments are refunded (less the booking fee) for cancellations no less than six weeks before your walk or experience. There are 15 stone circles on Dartmoor (this is counting Grey Wethers as two circles) and they are all listed below with links to their location on the OS map, to their National Monument Records and to any coverage on this website. 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. 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. All that remains is to continue into Belstone village and return to the car . At this time there was a rapid period of deforestation and grasses and bracken appear in the pollen records indicating a period of deforestation at the tree line. Head back round Batworthy Corner to take a look at the Round Pound. The remainder of the circles are fragmentary with many of the stones either fallen or long lost as is the case for the Mardon, Buttern Hill, Down Ridge, Sherberton and the Shovel Down circles. 13For more on the Cut Hill stone row see The County Gazetteer for Devon (p.344-5) includes 40 stone rings on Dartmoor most of which are cairn circles. For those who wish to continue with the walk, on the blue 5-mile route, to Teignhead Farm, at the end of the plantation instead of turning left back to Batworthy simply continue up the hill in the dip between the sloped on your left and right. 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". Three of the stones are of post type and eight are upright slabs. 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. It takes place on the weekend of 9 and 10 June. forestry walk, hiking, walking on dartmoor, walks on dartmoor, walks with dogs, summit or nothing, hiking routes dartmoor, dartmoor stone circles, dartmoor hiking, hiking uk, Dartmoor hike, walks on dartmoor . With small stones from the barely visible above the turf to only a little over 1 metre tall. 1 min walk (0.1 mi) POINCIANA CIRCULATOR. Hound Tor Walk 8. Vol. Payments are refunded (less the booking fee) for cancellations no less than six weeks before your walk or experience. Likewise at Hurston ridge the stone row is similarly partially incorporated into an enclosed settlement20. Breton, Henry Hugh, Beautiful Dartmoor And Its Interesting Antiquities, (1990) 3Burl (1976) (p.8, 11) states that there are over 900 stone circles. Buy Searching For Stone Circles: On Dartmoor (North) by B, Miss Helen Louise (ISBN: 9798576157488) from Amazon's Book Store. Nearer is the narrow fir plantation leading down into the valley of the North Teign River, the trees leading right down to the location of the Tolmen Stone which is on our route shortly. Teign Gorge Walk 7. Dartmoor's Daughter: Sacred Stone Circle Walk - See 388 traveler reviews, 204 candid photos, and great deals for Dartmoor National Park, UK, at Tripadvisor. At this point a small detour to our right, along the path will take us to Scorhill stone circle at SX654 873. +44 (0) 7817 329584info@dartmoorsdaughter.comSign up to our newsletter here, Fungal Foray - Beginners (morning session). Length: 20km. Two cart tracks run right through the ring, making its appearance even more impressive. An additional stone, 7.5m. The circle was excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1897. 5727 Dartmoor Cir is a 2,136 square foot house on a 7,560 square foot lot with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 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. I'm not kidding when I say I experienced all the seasons during the hike to these stones. 27-86 (1990) Walking on Dartmoor Explore the beauty of the moors There are lots of ways to explore and enjoy Devon and Dartmoor, whether on foot, by bike or on the back of a horse; but by far the most popular is by walking. Today only 3 stones remain intact with 10 having been destroyed and the rest overturned during World War Two. Since the days of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee when hundreds of hut circles and other monuments were excavated in a decade or so of frantic activity only a few Dartmoor monuments have been excavated. This gateway affords panoramic views across the valley to Kestor Rock. The Grey Wethers is the only example of a pair of stone circles on Dartmoor with two circles of approximately the same size separated by about 6m with centres forming an almost exact north-south axis, the stones all being over 1m in height. At the sharp left bend in front of Cherryford House turn right to Scorhill and carry on up the hill under the trees to the end of the lane at he vehicle turning area and the gateway that leads out onto Scorhill Down and the open moors at SX660 877. Turn right down the lane towards Gidleigh. Rising like lonesome watchtowers, these distinctive landmarks are the goal of popular walks. The Six Stone Circles Circular Walk, or the Fernworthy Stone Circle, The Grey Wethers Stone Circles, Sittaford Stone Circle, White Moor Stone Circle, Buttern Hill Stone Circle and Scorhill Stone Circle Circular Walk, is a big yomp on Dartmoor's north plateau. Suitable for all skill levels. 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. The Best Walks In Dartmoor National Park Covid19 Hikers' Tips 1. The largest by diameter are the Mardon Down stone circle (38.2 m) and the Grey Wethers (North 32.2 & South 33.6), the smallest are the Shovel Down (17.7 m) and Merrivale (19 m) circles. HAZELL SILLVER met archaeologist Andy Crabb to find out more about these Wistman's Wood Walk 2. 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. 537 views, 53 likes, 9 loves, 4 comments, 3 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Dartmoor Magazine: A deserted Scorhill stone circle on #Dartmoor, visited on a great 10-mile circular walk today. 5. It would seem that most major prehistoric settlements on Dartmoor would have had their own monuments just as most villages in the historic period would have a local church, a centre for religious, ceremonial and social gatherings. 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. You could then either go down to Chagford (and get the bus back to exeter) or carry on further. We will stop and spend time at each stone circle depending on our group pace. No. There are also multiple stone circle groups in Cornwall such as the three stone circles known as The Hurlers on Bodmin. Also known as the Throwleigh circle. 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. Payments are refunded (less the booking fee) for cancellations no less than six weeks before your walk or experience. In size it compares with the circles of the Grey Wethers and Scorhill". Walker, Jack Dartmoor Sun (Halsgrove, 2005) A short arc of seven stones remains in position on the south-east of the circle. 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. Published April 4, 2022. The walk covers a lot of moorland and prehistory and provides some awesome views. The existence of groups of circles adds intrigue to the unknown purpose of stone circles. Fernworthy Stone Circle Loop from Throwleigh. After leaving the settlements continue south westerly to the wall leading down from Fernworthy Forest and cross it at one of the numerous gates or stiles, and carry on to the end of the forest on your left where you can see the small copse of trees at Teignhead Farm. An excavation trench was dug right across the circle and was found "strewn with small pieces of wood charcoal". 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. 1Stringer 2006, see also First humans arrived in Britain 250,000 years earlier than thought and The first Britons This stone circle is one of Dartmoors finest: only thirty four stones remain of an original sixty five to seventy, and only twenty five of those are still standing. Petit (1974) refers to 12 circles (his list presumably excluding Shovel Down & Mardon). KOA ST AND MARIGOLD AVE (0.5 mi) . Marked with a Blue P on the OS map, this is on B3357 opposite Cox Tor and between Moorshop and Merrivale. Worth, R.H. Worth's Dartmoor (David & Charles, 1971), For a more comprehensive listing of books on Dartmoor including links to versions available online see Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks Resource: Books, First humans arrived in Britain 250,000 years earlier than thought, Guardian: Humans ventured as far as Torquay more than 40,000 years ago, Nature: The earliest evidence for anatomically modern humans in northwestern Europe, Telegraph: Ancient stones older than Stonehenge discovered on Dartmoor, BBC: Stone row sheds new light on Dartmoor prehistoric life, Dartmoor tomb treasure horde uncovered by archaeologists, Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks Resource: Books, Ringmoor, Brisworthy Circle and Legis Pound. 25, The location of the stone circles varies greatly. Vol 34 pp.116-7 (1902) . 7Worth (1953) On Shoveldown see p. 221, on stone circles see pp.248-264 CANCELLATION: The event will go ahead come rain or shine. Dartmoor has a particularly rich abundance of settlements, monuments and ritual sites dating from prehistoric times. Through open moorland and wooded valleys, taking in wild swimming rivers, ancient stone circles and monuments. The stone circles of Dartmoor are parochial and small in character in contrast to the grand regional circles at Stanton Drew and Avesbury. Carbon dating of the peat surrounding the recumbent stones suggests a date "around the second half of the fourth millennium BC".22 This surprising result suggest that some of the Dartmoor monuments are much older than previously thought, that is from earlier in the Neolithic. The moorland landscape we see today is a direct consequence of this period. On Dartmoor there are over 60 known stone rows, but the most impressive examples are also the most inaccessible. Todd, Malcolm The South West to AD 1000 (Longman, 1987) MARIGOLD AVE AND STEPPING STONE BLVD. For a fascinating account, see: Walker, Jack Dartmoor Sun Halsgrove (2005) 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. SOUTH-WEST DARTMOOR: Yellowmead circles and Cuckoo Rock Find out where the piskies like to play, as well as a stunning stone circle. You come to a second wall leading from the forest on the left, and there is a gate and stile to use in crossing it. There are stone rows and cairns close to the Fernworthy, Merrivale, Shovel Down and Tottiford circles. And sharing lessens our impact on the environment. 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". Go through the gate and along the footpath through the gorse bushes. The circles were restored in 1909 by Burnard. The White Moor stone lies 160m to the SE of the circle and it is thought to be contemporary with the circle but probably out of position having been re-erected at some point. Taking an archaeological as well as phenomenological . 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). The stone rows and cairns probably came later and surround the site. Crossing, William Guide to Dartmoor (Peninsula Press, 2001) This site was excavated prior to being buried underneath the clay workings at Cholwich town. 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. Today the circle is fairly dilapidated. 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. The biggest finds so far of Mesolithic remains on Dartmoor are the thousands of Mesolithic flints found at Gidleigh and Batworthy corner near Shovel Down.20 It is not known whether these sites were continually occupied over the millennia between the late Mesolithic and the early Bronze Age (or late Neolithic) or whether they were vacated and re-occupied at various times. As well as restorations the D.E.C. We have found that circular walks are the most well-loved, so here we have a large number for you to choose from! After viewing the stone walk upstream and using the two bridges cross the Wallabrook and the North Teign river. The other notable excavation was of the Cholwich town stone row and cairn circle carried out in 1964 by George Eogan. . +44 (0) 7817 329584info@dartmoorsdaughter.comSign up to our newsletter here, Navigation Skills for Beginners (or Refresher), The King Way Walk - Dartmoor Walking Festival. In the West Country there are 25 stone circles in Cornwall, 17 in Devon (15 of these on Dartmoor), 5 or 6 in Somerset and 7 in Dorset4. The first Homo Sapiens arrived on the scene around 30,000 to 50,000 years ago and soon became the sole Homo species. It's a double stone row separated by a leat which is 263 metres long. Nearby homes similar to 360 NE Hawk Cir have recently sold between $300K to $300K at an average of $180 per square foot. The third stone is partly obscured by the bank of the South Hill Leat (SX 68 SW 97). Fernworthy was excavated in 1897. (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). Once over the bridge you enter an oak wood where many of the trees have ferns growing out of their boughs. 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. One of the stones, lying down, has some signs of an attempt to split it using the feather and tare method. Both circles have 30 stones and diameters very close to 33 m and they are within 2 degrees of being on an exact north to south alignment. Fyfe, Ralph M. & Greeves, Tom The date and context of a stone row: Cut Hill, Dartmoor, south-west England Antiquity Vol 84, No. If a child with Whooping Cough passed through the stone a cure would also be found. The walls of this structure are huge, up to 4 metres in width and 2 metres in height, with an entrance made using large slabs. This path is clearly leading you up to Kestor Rock. 5Petit p.14 Burl, Aubrey The Stone Circles of the British Isles (Yale University Press, 1976) Behind you are fine views away to east Devon. It is clear that many settlements were built long after nearby stone rows, for example the enclosures known as Erme Pound Rings were built with total disregard for the Hook Lake double stone row which is partially incorporated into one of the enclosure walls19. +44 (0) 7817 329584info@dartmoorsdaughter.comSign up to our newsletter here, Navigation Skills for Beginners (or Refresher), Kings of the Solar System - Jupiter & Saturn. Lydford Gorge Walk 3. Click here to view our full cancellation Policy. Find out more Great Plantation Unfortunately, there is little accurate dating evidence for the monuments on Dartmoor which is largely due to the fact that the necessary organic remains used for dating have not survived in the acid soils. Sit by the open fire and enjoy some renowned Dartmoor . carried out excavations, the following are the most notable cases related to Dartmoor stone circles. The slight differences between the two circles could even be a result of the restoration. Merrivale circle was excavated in 1871 by Spence Bate. There are claims that stone rows such as those at Hingstone Hill (Down Tor) and Merrivale17 may have alignments to sunrise in mid-summer and mid-winter although the overwhelming evidence is that there are no such astronomical alignments for most Dartmoor rows and it maybe that the claimed alignments are nothing more than accidental18. Hemery, Eric High Dartmoor (Robert Hale, 1983) 12See for example; Worth, Petit, Gerrard, Butler, Newman Car Sharing - Please car share where possible. Continue down the hill to Gidleigh Cross junction where there is a welcome seat by the grassy triangle at SX672 883. The precise definition of which monuments are included as stone circles has changed over the years resulting in different numbers of circles being stated by different authorities. 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.". Length: Choice of a 5-mile walks or a 10-mile walk Start point: Car park at Belstone Village Car Park SX621 938. After going through the wall turn down to the right instead of carrying on to the large Teignhead Clapper Bridge but go down the slope to the small clapper foot bridge over the steam. For example, another recent excavation in August 2011 of a cist at Whitehorse Hill, just over 3km north-west of Grey Wethers, results in an estimated "date between the 19th and 17th century BC"23 which fits in more with the generally accepted time frame of Dartmoor monuments i.e. 7Gerrard p. 26 The original survey by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee suggested that there might have originally been a secondary concentric circle consisting of elvan rather than granite stones although the evidence for this today is unclear (see Extract from the Second Report of the D.E.C. The well defined path continues over the hill with views to the right of Cosdon Beacon, the wall drops away to the left but we carry on up the hill over the down. Take the left fork where the modern standing stone . Typically cairn circles on Dartmoor are much smaller in size with very few having diameters greater than 20 metres. It consists of a large internal hut circle about 12metres in diameter with an oval shaped pound around the outside. Rambles on Dartmoor: Moor-Walking for the Geographically Impaired. It was discovered in 2009 when reservoir levels were very low and excavated in 2010 by the Time Team. 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. There are around seventy six known stone rows and fourteen stone circles on Dartmoor and there are numerous menhirs or standing stones. Finish time will be approximately 6-7pm depending on our group pace and how long you want to spend in the circles. These early farmers are thought to have used wooden shelters and no evidence remains of their settlements. LEVEL: Moderate - approximately 7 miles or 11 km in open and hilly moorland terrain. 21Fox (1953) Two Dartmoor National Park Authority stonemasons are recutting the lettering on the Ten Commandments Stone at Buckland Beacon, a well-known landmark. It had only 4 stones standing and 3 prostrate, the remainder having been removed by new-take wall builders. 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. Perfect. The stones of a cairn circle are designed to bound and contain the cairn whereas the stones of a stone circle are intended to be permeable11 to allow physical access to the interior as well as visible access to the landscape outside. During the drought of August 2022 the stones were exposed again for the first time for years. Prehistoric Dartmoor (David & Charles, 1974) 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. The circle is not the largest in terms of diameter but it is the most striking circle on Dartmoor with some of the largest standing stones. Here you can pick up a footpath along the River Teign Walk and follow it south west up to the stone circle on Scorhill Down. 15Burnard (1894) pp. No liability accepted for accidents or incidents. 15The precise date range for the Neolithic period varies according to different authors. Some stiles and open moorland to cross. After Kestor Rock the route back to Batworthy Corner and your vehicle is down a well-worn path over the grassy slopes. Most of this four-and-a-half-mile walk is on open moorland and sometimes the 'track' disappears and then re-appears again, but the landmarks are very prominent. Free Walk for download. This stone appears to have been removed from the original circumference, and its height is 1.4m. The stone circle was partially excavated in 1904 by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee and their work revealed the original ground surface covered with charcoal. At the next T Junction at the grassy triangle turn left signposted to Creaber and Scorhill, passing Greenaway Farm on your left, continuing up the hill and ignoring the left junction to Creaber, but instead continuing up the hill in the Scorhill direction. 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. The day-to-day life and culture of prehistoric peoples would have remained lttle changed from the late Neolithic through to the early Bronze Age. They are not for astronomical observation. Sleepy spot on the edge of Dartmoor. Continue to Round Pound at SX 664 868 on your left.Round Pound is so impressively built that even the local road has been built in a curve around the outside. FEE: 35 per adult including a coffee and pastry for breakfast to encourage an early start! from the northeast side and 0.3m high, is angled towards the circle and may be quite unassociated". Rising like lonesome watchtowers, these distinctive landmarks are the goal of popular walks. Butler points out that reaves constructed later near the circles seemed to make deliberate deviations in their course to ensure that the circles were not included in enclosed land such as at Scorhill and perhaps at Fernworthy (the reave at Fernworthy has been destroyed but the projected path excludes the circle), only the "Grey Wethers pair, Langstone Moor and Little Hound Tor are located some distance from settled areas".26. Inside the pound are the remains of several walls connecting between the central hut and the outer wall. Some 15 stones out of 40 are missing, no doubt robbed for nearby enclosures and walls. A piece of Homo sapien upper jaw disovered in 1927 was recently dated to a short interglacial period around 44,200 and 41,500 years ago2. These are great books for anyone who enjoys a good walk, Dartmoor is one of the last wild places in the UK, and I highly recommend these books for anyone who . Thanks to Simon Dell of Moorland Guides for this walk. 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. I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse on Dartmoor.Steven Spielberg. Curiously the stones of Fernworthy appear to be graded by height with the taller stones in the south of the circle. 6km (3.7m) moderately easy; some rocky sections.