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.
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Langcombe Brook & Deadman's Bottom Cists
OS Map: SX 6096 6673
HER: MDV5086
Megalithic Portal: 45731
PMD: Deadman's Bottom S 10
Alternate name: Langcombe Brook 10 Platform Cairn Circle and Cist
ShortName: CT:Deadmans D
Butler map: 50.3.10
DPD page: 45
Grinsell: SHA 10
Turner: E44
Barrow Report: 53
Notes: "The cairn is 5m in diameter by 0.3m high with a retaining kerb on its northern side. The cist is 0.8m long b 0.7m wide." "Cist (listed as 'D' by Worth) found at Deadman's Bottom Langcombe, by Mr Button. Internal dimensions, length 3 feet 8 inches, width 2 feet. The stones are barely visible above grass level. The cover stone is missing." Lethbridge p.45 Langcombe Cist E - diagram p.43. Butler Langcombe Brook Cairn 10 - Vol. 3. Map 50.3 (pp.148-54 general plan of Langcombe Brook cairns p.151, diagram of Langcombe cists p.153).
Nearby sites: SX 6096 6673
Distance: 1.88km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Langcombe Brook & Deadman's Bottom Cists
OS Map: SX 60984 66714
HER: MDV5122
Megalithic Portal: 45732
PMD: Deadman's Bottom S 9
Alternate name: Langcombe Brook 9 Cist
ShortName: CT Deadmans E
Butler map: 50.3.9
DPD page: 45
Grinsell: SHA 11
Barrow Report: 53
Notes: "Cist (Listed as 'E' by Worth) found at Deadman's Bottom, Langcombe, by Mr. Button. Probable original dimensions, length 2ft 2 ins, width 1ft. 5ins. The stones barely show above the surface and the cover-stone is missing." ... "A well defined cairn 6.0m in diameter and 0.4m high with a cist in the top. This stone-lined cist measures 0.7m by 0.5m internally and 0.3 deep. Two of the side stones have fallen inwards." Lethbridge p.45 Langcombe Cist F - diagram p.43 Butler Langcombe Brook Cairn 9 - Vol. 3. Map 50.3 (pp.148-54 general plan of Langcombe Brook cairns p.151, diagram of Langcombe cists p.153).
Nearby sites: SX 60984 66714
Distance: 1.86km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Langcombe Brook & Deadman's Bottom Cists
OS Map: SX 61251 66313
HER: MDV5126
Megalithic Portal: 14929
PMD: Langcombe Brook S.
Alternate name: Langcombe Brook 4 Platform Cairn Circle and Cist
ShortName: CT GrimsGraveS
Butler map: 50.3.4
Butler Vol 5: p.160
DPD page: 46
Grinsell: SHA 18
Turner: E8
Barrow Report: 50
Notes: Lethbridge p.46 Langcombe Cist H - diagram p.43. Butler Langcombe Brook 4 (Cairn 4) - Vol. 3. Map 50.3 (pp.148-54 general plan of Langcombe Brook cairns p.151, diagram of Langcombe cists p.153).
Nearby sites: SX 61251 66313
Distance: 1.42km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Langcombe Brook & Deadman's Bottom Cists
OS Map: SX 61245 66422
HER: MDV5083
Megalithic Portal: 14930
PMD: Grim's Grave
ShortName: CT Grims Grave
Butler map: 50.3.3
DPD page: 46
Grinsell: SHA 13
Turner: D20
Barrow Report: 12 20 56
Notes: "A ring cairn set into the slope, c 4.5m in diameter, with a cist at its centre. The cairn consists of a stony, turf-covered mound contained by a ring of upright slabs, most leaning outwards, c 1m in height; the mound rises to c 0.4m at top of cist. The cist, box dimensions c 0.8m x 0.95m internally, is formed from edge-set slabs. One side slab is c 1.7m long, 0.9m wide and 0.2m thick. The monument survives in a very good condition though the cover-stone is missing - this is possibly the slab that now lies on the down-slope side." Lethbridge p.46 Langcombe Cist G (Grim's Grave) - diagram p.43. Butler Vol. 3. Map 50.3 Cairn 3 (pp.148-54 general plan of Langcombe Brook cairns p.151, diagram of Langcombe cists p.153, photo pp.94-96).
Nearby sites: SX 61245 66422
Distance: 1.53km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Hentor & Shavercombe Brook Cists
OS Map: SX 59825 65892
HER: MDV3491
Megalithic Portal: 45781
PMD: Shavercombe Brook
Alternate name: Hen Tor N.7 Cist
ShortName: CT Hen Tor N7
Butler map: 49.22.7
Grinsell: SHA 20
Notes: "The oval cairn is 7.5m by 6.5m and 0.9m high with some kerbing. An amorphous hollow occupies the centre of the mound and a single sidestone of the cist remains in situ". Butler Hen Tor 7 (Cairn 7)- Vol. 3. Map 49.22 (general plan of Hen Tor with diagram of cists pp.146-7).
Nearby sites: SX 59825 65892
Distance: 1.86km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Hentor & Shavercombe Brook Cists
OS Map: SX 59708 65692
HER: MDV3511
Megalithic Portal: 45712
PMD: Hen Tor Warren 5
Alternate name: Hen Tor N.5 Cist
ShortName: CT:Hen Tor N5
Butler map: 49.22.5
DPD page: 50
Grinsell: SHA 30
Barrow Report: 52
Notes: The author was unable to locate this cist at SX 59708 65692 on 13/08/17. The HER has ngr SX 5971 6570. The site is clearly difficult to find. The area is dense in bracken and according to Lethbridge the cist is very badly damaged. It is unclear how accurate the grid reference is - although it is quite possible that the problem is simply that it is overgrown and difficult to see. A cist consisting of two sidestones, one of which has fallen outwards, and an irregular shaped coverstone. Lethbridge p.50 Shavercombe Cist D - diagram p.49. Butler Hen Tor 5 (Cairn 5) - Vol. 3. Map 49.22 (general plan of Hen Tor with diagram of cists pp.146-7).
Nearby sites: SX 59708 65692
Distance: 1.87km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Hentor & Shavercombe Brook Cists
OS Map: SX 59632 65777
HER: MDV3492
Megalithic Portal: 45662
PMD: Hen Tor Warren 4
Alternate name: Hen Tor N.4 Platform Cairn Circle and Cist
ShortName: CT Hen Tor N4
Butler map: 49.22.4
DPD page: 50
Grinsell: SHA 29
Turner: E47
Barrow Report: 12 20
Notes: "On the slope north of Hen Tor at 395.0m OD is the remains of a cairn with a cist. The cairn measures 5.6m in diameter and 0.6m in height with a few stones of a cairn circle 3.2m in diameter remaining on the west side. The cist is 1.2m by 0.4m and 0.5m deep with a coverstone 1.6m by 1.1m at its maximum." Lethbridge p.50 Shavercombe Cist C - diagram p.49. Butler Hen Tor Cairn 4- Vol. 3. Map 49.22 (general plan of Hen Tor with diagram of cists pp.146-7).
Nearby sites: SX 59632 65777
Distance: 1.97km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Langcombe Brook & Deadman's Bottom Cists
OS Map: SX 60866 66155
HER: MDV5128
Megalithic Portal: 45729
PMD: Langcombe Brook 6
Alternate name: Langcombe Brook 6 Platform Cairn Circle and Cist
ShortName: CT Langcombe 6
Butler map: 50.3.6
DPD page: 47
Grinsell: SHA 19
Turner: E23
Barrow Report: 50 52
Notes: "A cist, lying a little over 590 yds south west of Grim's Grave, within a flat topped cairn. Cist has two sides and the south end stone are in place and the cover stone rests in part over the cist". Lethbridge p.47 Langcombe Cist J - diagram p.43. Butler Langcombe Brook 6 (Cairn 6) - Vol. 3. Map 50.3 (pp.148-54 general plan of Langcombe Brook cairns p.151, diagram of Langcombe cists p.153).
Nearby sites: SX 60866 66155
Distance: 1.36km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Guide to the Langcombe Brook & Deadman's Bottom Cists
OS Map: SX 60878 66421
HER: MDV5129
Megalithic Portal: 45767
PMD: Langcombe Brook 5
ShortName: CT:Langcombe 5
Butler map: 50.3.5
DPD page: 46
Grinsell: SHA 17
Notes: "Two end stones and two side stones are in position but the coverstone is missing. The tops of the stones are at ground level Length of N side stone 1.4m, S side stone 1m, W end stone 0.6m, and E end stone 0.5m. Present depth of cist is 0.3m." Lethbridge p.46 Langcombe Cist I - diagram p.43. Butler Langcombe Brook 5 (Cairn 5) - Vol. 3. Map 50.3 (pp.148-54 general plan of Langcombe Brook cairns p.151, diagram of Langcombe cists p.153).
Nearby sites: SX 60878 66421
Distance: 1.61km
OS Map: SX 62616 63543
HER: MDV4270
Megalithic Portal: 14987
PMD: Ranny Brook Head
Alternate name: Ranny Brookhead Cist
ShortName: CT Ranny Brook
Butler map: 52.10
DPD page: 66
Grinsell: COR 12
Barrow Report: 64 68 69 71
Notes: "Three sides of the grave are still in place; the third has been turned back and lies parallel to its original position. To the south of the cist, and about a foot away from the nearest point of the buried side-stone, lies the displaced coverstone. This stone has a greatest length of four feet and a greatest width of two feet six inches". Sides of cist sunken below surface. Lethbridge p.66. diagram p.65 Cist 2.Butler Ranny Brook Head - Vol. 3. Map 52.10 (diagram p.186).
Nearby sites: SX 62616 63543
Distance: 1.82km
OS Map: SX 62154 63547
HER: MDV4272
Megalithic Portal: 45747
PMD: Ranny Brook settlement
Alternate name: Ranny Brook N.3 Cist
ShortName: CT Ranny Bk N3
Butler map: 52.9.3
DPD page: 65
Grinsell: COR 11
Barrow Report: 58
Notes: "The northern end-stone and the western side-stone survive, whilst smaller stones may represent the other sides. This agrees with Worth's survey, but in his report he has transposed north and south." Lethbridge diagram p.65 Cist 1. Butler Ranny Brook N. 3 (Cist 3) - Vol. 3. Map 52.9. (pp.184-7 general plan of Ranny Brook settlements and cairns p.184, diagram of cists p.186).
Nearby sites: SX 62154 63547
Distance: 1.55km
OS Map: SX 62352 63670
HER: MDV43608
Megalithic Portal: 45574
ShortName: ES:Ranny Brook
Notes: An enclosure of earth and stone walling 0.5m wide by 0.4m high encompasses an oval area 18.0m by 16.0m. It lies on the South facing slope to the North of Ranny Brook. Scheduled: Devon 10853.
Nearby sites: SX 62352 63670
Distance: 1.56km
OS Map: SX 59835 63835
HER: MDV12790
Megalithic Portal: 1250
Alternate name: Shell Top Summit 3 Stone Ring Cairn Circle
ShortName: RC:ShellTopSu3
Butler map: 51.10.3
Grinsell: COR 1a
Turner: A44
Notes: "A stone ring 20.5m overall diameter, comprising small, heather covered stones, 0.8m wide and 0.2m high. It lies on the broad level summit of shell top at 475m above sea level. There is a wide 3m wide gap on the north side and the interior is slightly domed, about 0.4m high, possibly a natural rise since it is off-centre. The term 'stone circle' is rather a mis-nomer since only half a dozen stones protrude from the turf and in appearance it is simply a low circular bank."
Nearby sites: SX 59835 63835
Distance: 1.89km
OS Map: SX 59766 63805
HER: MDV12905
Megalithic Portal: 45646
PMD: Shell Top
Alternate name: Shell Top Summit 1 Platform Cairn Circle
ShortName: PC:ShellTopSu1
Butler map: 51.10.1
Grinsell: COR 1
Turner: E53
Notes: Cairn 9.5m in diameter with boulder of tor. Butler Vol 3 map 51.10 p.174.
Nearby sites: SX 59766 63805
Distance: 1.97km
OS Map: SX 62065 63607
HER: MDV4273
Megalithic Portal: 45575
ShortName: ES Yealm Steps
Notes: "A fine example of enclosure and hut circles. Extensive prehistoric settlement area. Two villages contiguous, the larger pound a development of the smaller. Pound walls and those of huts consist of stone and turf. At least 22 huts within the enclosure. To the north and south of the pounds are scatters of isolated huts generally much larger than the enclosed huts. On the south there are remains of fields or paddocks. Rough moorland."
Nearby sites: SX 62065 63607
Distance: 1.45km
Page last updated 18/02/24