Guide to the Monuments on Cox Tor and Whitchurch Common

Table of Ritual and Burial Monuments on Cox Tor and Whitchurch Common

Table of Round Houses on Cox Tor and Whitchurch Common

Cox Tor and Whitchurch Common Guide Map

Guidance for walkers: The monuments featured in this database are archaeological treasures and need to be protected and preserved - please do not disturb any sites. Please check access and firing times before visiting sites, not all sites listed are on open access land. Firing ranges and boundaries of open access areas are marked on the OL28 OS Dartmoor Explorer map. Please stick to the country code and consider giving support to the numerous agencies that help to keep Dartmoor a fabulous natural and historic environment!

List of Ritual and Burial Monuments on Cox Tor and Whitchurch Common

Whitchurch Common S. Reported Cairn

OS Map: SX 53032 74954
NMR record: SX 57 NW 65
HER record: MDV48865
ShortName: CN?Whitchurch6
Grinsell: WHI 1
Turner: A19
Barrow Report: 39
Notes: Hut Circle or ring cairn? This is probably the cairn referred to by Worth in Barrow Report 39 (not the cist on the southern slope of barn Hill).

It has been difficult to match up these three sites. The listings on this website can be matched in a coherent fashion to those on the HER and there is no doubt on those matches. However, matching records to the actual features is proving difficult. On 09/09/23 I took photos of 3 features and for the purpose of these listings I will refer to them as "northern", "western" and "southern". That clearly defines what i recorded and photographed. However, I'm not certain I have the right records matched and it may take a further site visit to unentangle this.
1. "northern" provisionally matched to SiteID=541 HER record: 4115
2. "western" provisionally matched to SiteID=2509 HER record: 48866
3. "southern" provisionally matched to SiteID=2563 HER record: 48865
NB. This site is identified as "southern" and grid reference and photo reflect this
Nearby sites: SX53037495

Whitchurch Common (N) Stone Ring Cairn Circle

OS Map: SX 53020 75005
NMR record: SX 57 SW 89
HER record: MDV4115
Megalithic Portal: 3535
Alternate name: Whitchurch Common N. Stone Ring Cairn Circle
ShortName: RC Whitchurch1
Turner: A41
Notes: Hut Circle or ring cairn? "Ring cairn with entrance. Stone ring 5.5m internal diam, with bank 1.5m wide and 0.4m high.2.5m wide entrance on ssw side" " A hut with an internal diam of 5.8m and walling 1.5m wide and 0.4m high; there is an entrance gap in the sw. This is evidently grinsell's cairn and worth's barrow.(broadly it is on the n slope of barn hill as stated by worth, but locally on the sw slope). While the structure might in isolation be construed as a cairn, the lack of any internal stone, the consistently smooth angle of the inner face of the wall and the presence of other huts and a field system militate against the worth and grinsell classifications"
Nearby sites: SX53017499

Cox Tor S.E.10 Clearance Cairn

OS Map: SX 53100 76100
NMR: No record found
HER record: MDV49831
ShortName: CN?Cox Tor 10
Notes: Clearance cairn? "clearance cairn defining ne corner of enclosure. Diam 5.5m, height 0.8m. May have been used as initial marking out point, or may have been built over the corner of an existing enclosure (mpp)." The author could find nothing at SX 531 761 but as it is a 6 digit grid reference it could be over 100 metres out.No sign of enclosure walls at the grid reference - maybe this is some distance to the south.
Nearby sites: SX53107610

Cox Tor (NW) Stone Ring Cairn Circle

OS Map: SX 53024 76424
NMR record: SX 57 NW 36
HER record: MDV4128
Megalithic Portal: 32104
Alternate name: Cox Tor N.5 Stone Ring Cairn Circle
ShortName: RC Cox Tor NW
Butler map: 31.1.5
Grinsell: PET 35
Turner: A48
Notes: Possibly HER 4128.
Nearby sites: SX53027642

Cox Tor (NE) Stone Ring Cairn Circle

OS Map: SX 53047 76430
NMR record: SX 57 NW 35
HER record: MDV4127
Megalithic Portal: 32104
Alternate name: Cox Tor N.6 Stone Ring Cairn Circle
ShortName: RC Cox Tor NE
Butler map: 31.1.6
Grinsell: PET 36
Turner: A51
Notes: "Narrow ridge of north-south outcropping rock measuring 10 metres in diameter, surrounded by circular stoney bank 4 metres wide, 0.8 metres high. 1890 excavation showed it to consist of an outer bank with central infill of loose stones and earth. No trace of burials or artefacts." "Cox Tor. Smaller of two adjacent cairns. Lies 12.5 metres south-east of larger one (see related record). Similar in shape, though smaller; diameter 8.23 metres. Construction of centre was loose, much earth being mingled with the stone. Nothing found and no pit in the "calm"." (Baring-Gould - fifth report of the DEC)
Nearby sites: SX53057643

Cox Tor Stone Ring Cairn Circle

OS Map: SX 53060 76190
NMR record: SX 57 NW 39
HER record: MDV4151
Megalithic Portal: 32104
Alternate name: Cox Tor Summit Stone Ring Cairn Circle
ShortName: RC Cox Tor
Butler map: 31.1.3
Grinsell: PET 37a
Turner: A59
Notes: "Cox tor, ring cairn. The outcrop of granite on the summit is surrounded by an ancient wall, enclosing a space of about 21m in diameter, built of small stones. Pillaged and part used in erection of the cairn for the 1887 jubilee."
Nearby sites: SX53067619

Cox Tor 11 (PET 37b) Reported Cairn

OS Map: SX 53000 76100
NMR record: SX 57 NW 128
HER record: MDV4108
ShortName: CN?Cox Tor 11
Grinsell: PET 37b
Notes: Mentioned by Breton 1912. NMR refers to clearance cairns SE of Cox Tor and cites Grinsell who is referring back to Baring-Gould. "Cox tor. On southern slope of tor is a cluster of cairns, sepulchral. Five definitely cairns and a number of other doubtful mounds. Two examined. Originally circular, composed of earth and stones. Nothing found.(baring-gould)." This very much sounds like a description of cairns 8 & 9 which are to the SE of cox tor and were excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee. This grid reference is comparatively to the west and is probably wrong. This record is being marked as a duplicate for this reason, see Cox Tor 8 and Cox Tor 9.
Nearby sites: SX53007610

Vixen Tor Cist

OS Map: SX 54240 74391
NMR record: SX 57 SW 5
HER record: MDV3596
Megalithic Portal: 29932
PMD: Vixen Tor
Alternate name: Vixen Tor 1 Cist
ShortName: CT Vixen Tor
Butler map: 44.10.1
DPD page: 15
Grinsell: WHI 2
Barrow Report: 39
Notes: "Cist and possible remains of a barrow. The east and south sides of the cist lean inwards and the north end is slightly defective. The cover stone seems to have been in two parts and it leans against the south corner of the cist. There appears to be traces of a retaining circle of barrows, three stones only, in radius of 3.0m from the centre of the cist. The condition is good. The original dimensions would, however, appear to have been 1.219m x 533mm. One side stone is 1.524m in length, and the other is over 1.372m in length. The present depth below the top of the side stones is 330mm, but excavation would probably prove this to be at least twice this." Vixen Tor has been fenced off by the current landowner. Butler Vol. 3. Map 44.10.1 (diagram p.34). See also: Legendary Dartmooor: Vixen Tor and Vixen Tor Forbidden
Nearby sites: SX54247439

Cox Tor N.E. Settlement

OS Map: SX 53600 76500
NMR record: SX 57 NW 32
HER record: MDV4105
Megalithic Portal: 17508
ShortName: ST:CoxTorNE
Notes: Details via Megalithic Portal.
Nearby sites: SX53607650

Vixen Tor 2 Cairn

OS Map: SX 54115 74445
NMR: No record found
HER record: MDV35898
ShortName: CN Vixen Tor1
Butler map: 44.10.2
Notes: The HER grid reference is SX 54130 74460
Nearby sites: SX54127445

Barn Hill N.E. Cairn

OS Map: SX 53442 75013
NMR: No record found
HER record: MDV63573
ShortName: CN Barn Hill1
Butler map: 44.10.4
Notes: Possibly NMR 1359050. "Despoiled prehistoric barrow on the east side of barn hill just to the west of the streamwork. The top of the monument has recently been dug into "
Nearby sites: SX53447501

Whitchurch Common E. Cairn

OS Map: SX 54141 74887
NMR record: SX 57 SW 86
HER record: MDV64833
ShortName: CN:Whitchurch2
Butler map: 44.10.5
Notes: "Diam 6m, height 0.9m. A number of large stones protrude through the surface of the mound, which appears to be intact having escaped antiquarian investigation. Lies within extensive coaxial field system which is the subject of separate schedulings"
Nearby sites: SX54147489

Cox Tor Stone Row

OS Map: SX 53070 76180
NMR record: SX 57 NW 60
HER record: MDV12802
Megalithic Portal: 1840
PMD: Cox Tor
Alternate name: Cocks Tor Stone Row
ShortName: SRxCoxTor
Butler map: 31.1
Notes: Stone row reported by R.N. Worth in 1894 and referred to by R.H. Worth in 1953. The row is no longer visible. The NMR states: "R.N. Worth mentions, like Crossing, one stone row, while R.H.Worth notes one or more rows. These cannot be traced, and the depth of peat on the grassy plateau is so little that if the row/rows were obvious with slight shrinkage they should still be reasonably visible. Spaced stones abound, particularly towards the northern end and numerous fictitious rows of four of five stones can be deduced but nothing acceptable from any of the cairns."
Nearby sites: SX53077618

Cox Tor N.4 Cairn

OS Map: SX 53032 76347
NMR record: SX 57 NW 37
HER record: MDV4191
ShortName: CN Cox Tor N4
Butler map: 31.1.4
Grinsell: PET 37
Nearby sites: SX53037635

Cox Tor N.7 Cairn

OS Map: SX 53053 76495
NMR record: SX 57 NW 105
HER record: MDV49710
ShortName: CN Cox Tor N7
Butler map: 31.1.7
Nearby sites: SX53057650

Cox Tor S.E.8 Cairn

OS Map: SX 53206 76138
NMR record: SX 57 NW 94
HER record: MDV28512
ShortName: CN Cox Tor SE8
Butler map: 31.1.8
Notes: Butler lists a pair of two small cairns south of the tor; cairn 8 at SX 5316 7613 and cairn 9 at SX 5318 7614. The author visited this area and found two possible cairns that could match the pair are located around 30-40 metres to the north-east. These match very closely to the NGR given by the the HER for SX 53210 76180 (HER 28512) and SX 53203 76131 (56607). It is impossible to say whether these are the cairns mentioned by Butler or not but these two records assume that is the case and use the grid references of the sites photographed. Butler writes: "The [Dartmoor Exploration] Committee then dug into two small cairns 60 m south of the tor, in neither of which was anything found. These were part of a small cairnfield with five to seven members but only two are easily identifiable south-east of the to, 8 and 9." This area is covered in periglacial mounds which adds to the confusing picture of this area and the author was unable to find anything else that looked man-made. NB. Grinsell's PET 37b probably relates to these two cairns.
Nearby sites: SX53217614

Cox Tor S.E.9 Cairn

OS Map: SX 53228 76174
NMR record: SX 57 NW 94
HER: No record found
ShortName: CN Cox Tor SE9
Butler map: 31.1.9
Notes: Butler lists a pair of two small cairns south of the tor; cairn 8 at SX 5316 7613 and cairn 9 at SX 5318 7614. The author visited this area and found two possible cairns that could match the pair are located around 30-40 metres to the north-east. These match very closely to the NGR given by the the HER for SX 53210 76180 (HER 28512) and SX 53203 76131 (56607). It is impossible to say whether these are the cairns mentioned by Butler or not but these two records assume that is the case and use the grid references of the sites photographed. Butler writes: "The [Dartmoor Exploration] Committee then dug into two small cairns 60 m south of the tor, in neither of which was anything found. These were part of a small cairnfield with five to seven members but only two are easily identifiable south-east of the to, 8 and 9." This area is covered in periglacial mounds which adds to the confusing picture of this area and the author was unable to find anything else that looked man-made. NB. Grinsell's PET 37b probably relates to these two cairns.

UPDATE 31/12/2022. The HER record MDV56607 that this used to link to has been deleted. The record originates with Butler and has possibly located so this record will be retained (see photo).
Nearby sites: SX53237617

Cox Tor Summit (duplicate) Reported Cairn

OS Map: SX 53050 76180
NMR record: SX 57 NW 132
HER record: MDV4151
ShortName: CN:Cox Tor S5
Butler map: 31.1.3
Notes: Duplicate of NMR 439836
Nearby sites: SX53057618

Barn Hill Cist

OS Map: SX 53318 74558
NMR record: SX 57 SW 27
HER record: MDV14685
Megalithic Portal: 45785
PMD: Barn Hill
Alternate name: Barn Hill S. Cist
ShortName: CT Barn Hill
Butler map: 44.10.3
DPD page: 15
Grinsell: WHI 3
Notes: "The cairn mound measures 5.7 metres in diameter and stands up to 0.2 metres high. The cist lies slightly south of the cairn's centre and survives as a 0.98 metre long by 0.6 metre wide and 0.3 metre deep stone-lined pit". Possibly described in Barrow report 39 although refers to somethign on the norterhen side of barn Hill and this is on the southern. Butler Barn Hill S. - Vol. 3. Map 44.10.3. (diagram p.34). Previously listed with an inaccurate grid reference. Now found at SX 53318 74558. The photo was taken in the heatwave of Sept 2023 unfortunately I got sunblock on the lens - a better photo will be uploaded when i next visit. The grid reference is now accurate.
Nearby sites: SX53327456

Whitchurch Common 4 Cairn

OS Map: SX 53700 74930
NMR record: SX 57 NW 157
HER record: MDV63574
ShortName: CN:Whitchurch4
Notes: Ring cairn c18m diameter surviving as a circular earthwork bank c30cm high on the hillside to the east of the streamwork. Part of the bank has been disturbed by a rectangular hollow which may be the remains of a later building (newman).
Nearby sites: SX53707493

Whitchurch Common 5 Reported Cairn

OS Map: SX 53496 75192
NMR record: SX 57 NW 157
HER record: MDV56594
ShortName: CN Whitchurch5
Notes: This record originates as a cairn reported in the old NMR listings. It is very likely a round house. The HER entry 56594 relates to round houses and the entry lists 3 items but also includes an NGR (SX 5349 7518) which matches this feature. In these listings we also have a round house listed as SiteID=5112 (HER=56594). The HER entry includes round houses which are apparently over 100m away from this feature and for that reason we will not treat that entry as a duplicate as it represents different unique features.
Nearby sites: SX53507519

Whitchurch Common 3 Cairn

OS Map: SX 53004 74984
NMR record: SX 57 SW 89
HER record: MDV48866
ShortName: CN Whitchurch3
Turner: B10
Notes: "A 2m wide rubble bank containing a large number of edge set stones. Bank is up to 0.6m high, surrounding an area of 6.6m diam. A 3m wide, 0.1m deep ditch surrounds the bank. Lies within extensive coaxial field system".
Nearby sites: SX53007498

Pew Tor Reported Cist

OS Map: SX 53250 72920
NMR: No record found
HER record: MDV64700
PMD: Pew Tor
ShortName: CT?Pew Tor1
Notes: Pit to the north of the standing stone is a possible cist. The rectangular pit c2.5m x 1m x 0.3m deep has three vertical sides + the remains of a possible capstone standing on edge within it. Banks adjacent to the pit suggest the remains of a mound which could have been 11m x 6m oriented north-south + covered the cist
Nearby sites: SX53257292