Database and web search tools
To search the Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks database use the form below. Any word or sequence of characters can be used to search and you can use wildcards. The "%" wildcard means any text and "_" any character (without the quote marks). All searches will automatically be enclosed with "%" to ensure all records including the search expression are returned. Additional use of % can be used to include a trailing or leading space.
- worth - "worth" appears as part of a word e.g. "Fernworthy", "Brisworthy", "Worth"
- % worth % - " worth " appears (with a space on either side) and will return records where Worth is mentioned in the notes.
- l_ng - any phrase including "lang", long", ling" etc.
The database stores the monument type separately from the monument name so to search for Erme Cairn Circle you would need to enter just "Erme" (or "Stall" as it is sometimes known as the Stall Moor Circle). For listings by monument type see the database listings from the Resources menu. The NMR record numbers are of the form "SX 68 NE 26" (which is Scorhill Stone Circle). Searching for "SX 68" in the NMR field will list all records with NMR links with easting beginning with "6" and northing beginning "8".
Results will open in a new page. Click back in your browser to return here to amend your search or to start a new search.
Search for Nearby Sites
Enter a 6 or 8 digit OS grid reference (enter without the prefix SX) to get a listing of nearby sites. For example, to search nearby to Brisworthy Stone Circle (SX56476549) enter "56476549" or "565655". By default the listings will include all sites within 2km or alternatively you can specify the distance.
About the Database Listings
Details of archaeological sites used to be kept in the Sites and Monuments Records (SMRs). These are now held in National Monument Records (NMRs) maintained by English Heritage although these in turn are being merged into Historic Environment Records (HERs). The NMRs contains details of the site and will often include field notes, a limited bibliography and other useful information. Another rich source of such information is Bill Radcliffe's Prehistoric Monuments of Dartmoor (PMD) website. The records were compiled independently from books and journals and then matched to the NMR records and then cross-referenced with any corresponding PMD records to ensure accuracy. Each record has a link to corresponding NMR and PMD records, a link to the location on the Ordnance Survey map, a photo (if available) and a link to relevant coverage on Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks and a link giving a listing of nearby sites. The HER records are not included as they do not yet have much information but they can be looked up via the PMD records. The author would like to thank Bill Radcliffe for the helpful correspondence whilst checking records.
Searching the NMR & HER records
The NMR currently has the most useful information and is the easiest to search. Simply convert the OS number to 6 digits (and prefix with SX, so for Brisworthy stone circle enter "SX565655" and use the NMR Search Form (link opens in new window). In most cases it is best to select Search within 250m.
Using the Heritage Gateway HER Advanced Search (link opens in new window) requires a bit of getting used to! Follow these steps otherwise you will not get any results.
- In the Search within field select 250m of selected location (or 100m for a narrower search).
- Towards the bottom of the page there is a link Click to Search by Grid Reference. For Brisworthy Stone Circle enter the 6-digit OS grid reference "SX565655". Then click on the go graphic that will appear to the right.
- Click on Search
NOTE: The HER have recently added MDV in front of all HER numbers so, for example, Scorhill now has HER number MDV6122 instead of 6122.
Web Search
Use this form to do a Google search on the following websites Click back in your browser to return to this page. The NMR & HER records do not necessarily include geographical names and a Google search is likely to miss relevant records - see above for guidance on searching them.
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks site custom Google search:
Page last updated 4/11/12