Historic Dartmoor

Whilst flicking through the archaeological news feeds today (24.10.09) one came up from Heritage Key (see link opposite) dramatically announcing: ‘Atlantis and Mini-Stonehenge found in Devon‘. As the term ‘Atlantis‘ was used I assumed whatever had been discovered was along the coastline somewhere – wrong! On reading further this over …

“Proceed over the common to Three Barrow Torr; a lofty elevation, so named from three huge barrows, or karns, on its summit – supposed, from their vast size to mark the tomb of some eminent warrior.” – 1827. For once it is easy to see how this hill acquired its …

Imagine a scene some 4,000 years ago when a highly respected member of a Bronze Age tribe died, they may have been killed in some conflict or just simply died of old age. Either way the family and other tribal members respected them enough to give him or her a …

Along with the menhirs, stone circles, and kists of Dartmoor are the associated stone rows. It is estimated that there are 76 known stone rows and avenues all of which seem to have been built over a lengthy period of time. It is always difficult to date these features but …

As with most highland zones of Britain Devon has a number of Bronze Age stone circles, 16 to be exact and of these 14 are to be found on Dartmoor. They range in size from a diameter of 17.7 metres to 38.2 metres which when compared to the larger Avebury …

Stentiford or Stittleford’s Cross is another often unseen feature of Dartmoor which stands in the corner of an old newtake wall near Hemsworthy Gate. Although it is now lumped together with the other stone crosses of Dartmoor technically speaking the ‘cross’ is an inscribed stone. I am as guilty as …

Staldon stone row is the longest stone row on Dartmoor but there can potentially be a slight mix up with the much shorter row which lies 1.88 kilometres to the south on Stalldown. This is a good example of the dangers of place-name etymology as Staldon is a local dialect …

“We shall find the object of which we are in quest about a mile from the gate by which we have entered on the moor. It is the top of a shaft, and one of the arms of a very curious old cross, and it is much to be lamented …

The first legend attached to this and also the derivation of its name is as follows. There were once three local spinsters living nearby. These were not spinsters in the sense of single ladies but ’spinsters’ in the woollen sense, i.e. wool spinners . One morning before breakfast the three …

If you travel down the main street of South Zeal in a south easterly direction you will soon encounter a small. slender cross mounted upon three granite pedestals forming a type of pyramid. If anything the cross seems out of proportion with the pedestals insomuch as it’s too slender for …