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!
About the database listings: In all listings clicking on the photo or the site name will open a page for the site with a larger photo and further details from the database. The database now has over 6680 records covering nearly all publicly listed sites on Dartmoor including around 4800 round houses. This level of detail is of interest to archaeologists but tends to swamp listings of sites more likely to be of interest for walkers. For this reason, the listings default to around 550 core sites only. These are the stone circles, stone rows and the ring cairns listed by Turner. The default search radius is 2 km. The controls below the map can be used to start a new search by entering a 6- or 8-digit reference (without the prefix "SX"). The search radius can be specified and you can add incremental Display layers of detail on top of the core sites. If using a more detailed layer you will need to decrease the search radius to avoid getting hundreds of search results.
These listings have incorporated, matched up and merged all of the records from all of the major archaeological listings including: Worth, Grinsell, Turner, Butler, Bill Radcliffe, Sandy Gerrard, Megalithic Portal, the National Monument Records and the Historic Environment Records. The author would like to thank Bill, Sandy, the lovely people both at Megalithic Portal (especially Anne Tate who did an amazing job to link listings) and at ACE Archaeology for collaborative work over the years to synchronise and correct listings across the various websites which now interlink. A culmination of years of work the final merger of cairn records took 3 months of cross referencing in 2017 the result being a snapshot of the records at that time. This data has in turn been refined since by field work and research. The round house data was supplied by Sandy Gerrard. Grid references are in order of accuracy: from Google Earth satellite, if visible and found, from a Garmin GPS reading, if visited by the author and from the literature otherwise. Individual site pages will state the source of the grid reference and provide satellite imagery. If a site listing lacks a photo it has not yet been visited by the author in which case the grid reference is from the literature.
Currently the database only includes sites which can be represented by a grid reference. Reaves are not included as they require GIS shape technology which is beyond the current capability of this system. To see the sources for the records, look at the tables on the resources menu. The database listings can also be viewed on a Google map and downloaded as GPS datasets for Garmin devices.
Corrections, or any feedback or suggestions are very welcome, email: info@dartmoorwalks.org.uk.
NOTE: Clicking on the icons for each monument in the map will give the name of the site. You can zoom in and out and drag the map around.
OS Map: SX 55305 89126
HER: MDV48863
Megalithic Portal: 45843
ShortName: RC Branscombe
Turner: A57
Notes: One of 4 cairns on Corn Ridge - see Turner "Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor" DASP No. 48 p59 for diagram of the 4 cairns. This one is a "tor cairn" - a circular bank enclosing a rocky outcrop. The circle can be seen clearly on Google Earth satellite imagery.
Nearby sites: SX 55305 89126
Distance: 0.85km
OS Map: SX 55138 89153
HER: MDV3172
Megalithic Portal: 52276
Alternate name: Branscombe's Loaf 2 Stone Ring Cairn Circle
ShortName: RC Corn Ridge1
Butler map: 43.12.2
Grinsell: BRI 10
Turner: A14
Notes: This ring cairn can just about be seen in the photograph that accompanies this record, it is a bit difficult to capture in a photograph. It is a bit of an indistinct circular bank. It is perhaps easier to see in the Google Earth satellite imagery - which can help to then make sense of the photograph. One of 4 cairns on Corn Ridge - see Turner "Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor" DASP No. 48 p59 for diagram of the 4 cairns.
Nearby sites: SX 55138 89153
Distance: 0.93km
OS Map: SX 55175 89119
HER: MDV3171
Megalithic Portal: 3158
Alternate name: Branscombe's Loaf 1 Encircled Cairn
ShortName: EC Corn Ridge3
Butler map: 43.12.1
Grinsell: BRI 9
Turner: F2
Notes: One of 4 cairns on Corn Ridge - see Turner "Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor" DASP No. 48 p59 for diagram of the 4 cairns.
Nearby sites: SX 55175 89119
Distance: 0.88km
OS Map: SX 54603 89454
HER: MDV4627
Megalithic Portal: 10022
ShortName: CN SourtonTors
Butler map: 43.10.1
Grinsell: BRI 1
Notes: Butler Corn Ridge NW1. Southern most of pair of cairns near stone circle. "The remains of a cairn, SX 54608942, which has been disturbed in the past - now heather covered. Diameter 10.5m, height 0.5m. One or two stones of the retaining circle are still visible but there is no trace of a cist to be seen." Previously listed as Sourton Tors S.E. - changed to the Butler name as less confusing given part of a pair of cairns
Nearby sites: SX 54603 89454
Distance: 1.46km
OS Map: SX 55219 89145
HER: MDV48864
Megalithic Portal: 45850
Alternate name: Branscombe's Loaf 3 Stone Ring Cairn Circle
ShortName: RC Corn Ridge2
Butler map: 43.12.3
Turner: A66
Notes: "Tor cairn on summit of Corn Ridge. Two banks of small to medium stones associated with large outcrop. Outer bank survives as 12 metres long, 1.2 metres wide, 0.3 metres high curving rubble spread following s + w edges of the outcrop. Inner ring measures 1.3m wide, 0.3m high and corresponds with the n edge of the outcrop, but also extends over the rock itself, which stands 3m high. Area enclosed by ring banks measures 15m ns by 12m ew" One of 4 cairns on Corn Ridge - see Turner "Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor" DASP No. 48 p59 for diagram of the 4 cairns.
Nearby sites: SX 55219 89145
Distance: 0.89km
OS Map: SX 54922 86496
HER: MDV4653
Megalithic Portal: 10043
ShortName: CN:GreatLinksT
Butler map: 43.13
Grinsell: BRI 8
Notes: "cairn with hollow in centre. Diam 17.5m, height 1.6m. ... (grinsell) 18.0m diameter, 1.4m high. Siting - hillspur. ... (gerrard) cairn mound measures 19m in diameter and stands up to 1.5m high. An irregular shaped hollow in the centre of the mound, measuring 4m long, 3m wide and up to 1.3m deep, suggests partial early excavation or robbing (mpp)."
Nearby sites: SX 54922 86496
Distance: 1.89km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Cairns on Great Nodden
OS Map: SX 5388 8741
HER: MDV4625
Megalithic Portal: 45796
PMD: Great Nodden
Alternate name: Great Nodden 17 Cist
ShortName: CT Great Nod17
Butler map: 43.7.17
Grinsell: BRI 7a
Barrow Report: 13 21
Notes: Butler: "recorded on the summit in 1891". This was excavated revealing a cist. No longer traceable. This cairn and cist was around 6m away from the Great Nodden cairn. The photograph accompanying this record is of the Great Nodden Cairn in the vicinity of where this cist used to exist. Butler Vol. 2. Map 43.7.17.
Nearby sites: SX 5388 8741
Distance: 1.85km
OS Map: SX 54418 88858
HER: MDV4674
Megalithic Portal: 10023
Alternate name: Corn Ridge W.1 Stone Ring Cairn Circle
ShortName: RC Sourton Com
Butler map: 43.8.1
Grinsell: BRI 3
Turner: A33
Notes: "Ring cairn surviving as a circular bank 4m wide and 0.7m high surrounding an internal area measuring 12m in diam. Four small hollows in the ring bank suggest partial early excavation or robbing" NMR B.
Nearby sites: SX 54418 88858
Distance: 1.22km
OS Map: SX 54596 89607
HER: MDV127223
ShortName: PO SourtonTors
Notes: Pool measures 12 by 10.5m. One of over 40 such 'sacred' pools identified on Dartmoor that are thought to have potentially been designed during the prehistoric period, and may have been used to deposit votive items, although these Dartmoor examples may have alternative significance as designed prehistoric elements in the landscape. Many are located on ridge tops and in conjunction with cairns, stone rows and other prehistoric features. Further research may well reveal more about these interesting features.
Nearby sites: SX 54596 89607
Distance: 1.59km
OS Map: SX 54683 89587
HER: MDV4626
Megalithic Portal: 3472
PMD: Sourton (Corn Ridge) Stone Circle
ShortName: SC SourtonTors
Butler map: 43.6
Turner: G3
Notes: "A stone circle, diameter about 110 ft and appearing to have comprised 32 stones of which all but six remain where they have fallen, has been discovered between Sourton Tors and Cornridge. In size it compares with the circles of the Grey Wethers and Scorhill". For a photo of this site, see: Megalithic Portal: Sourton Tors Stone Circle
Nearby sites: SX 54683 89587
Distance: 1.52km
Page last updated 18/02/24