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 70302 62639
HER: MDV7955
ShortName: PO:BloodyPool
Notes: "Bloody Pool is one of over 40 such pool sites on Dartmoor which may date to the Prehistoric period and may have had a sacred function. This pool was noted in 1960 as having been filled in and its site now forms part of a roadside verge. In 1854, a hoard of Bronze Age metalwork was recovered from the pool, including four bronze ferrules, with three barbed bronze spearheads. All items were broken and are thought to have been votive deposits; the only pool on the moor where such items have been found."
"A legend of a battle is attached to the area of Bloody Pool. The name Bloody Pool pre-dates the finds of Bronze spears etc. in 1855. Recorded in South Brent Tithe Map 1843." See also find spot HER MDV39436 - Possible location of Bloody Pool and also Legendary Dartmoor: Bloody Pool
Nearby sites: SX 70302 62639
Distance: 1.54km
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Resource: Table of Devon Iron Age Forts
OS Map: SX 70394 61725
HER: MDV7957
Megalithic Portal: 7753
ShortName: FT:Brent Hill
Notes: This monument includes a slight univallate hillfort with outworks, hut circle platforms and beacon situated at the summit of the prominent Brent Hill. The hillfort survives as an irregularly shaped enclosure surrounding the summit of a naturally steep and rocky hillside which is further enhanced by a partial rampart and ditch. There is an extension to the rampart circuit on the south western side where natural defences are weaker and to the south east a second outwork in the form of a short length of outer rampart and partially buried ditch connects with steeper natural slopes to the north west and south east. The artificial ramparts are best preserved to the south and attain an overall maximum width of approximately 9m. The original entrance is to the north east where the outwork adds additional protection. The circuit of the rampart is defined almost through out its entire length by a later field boundary which overlies it. Within the enclosure are the circular platforms of up to three huts which vary in size from 8m to 11m in diameter. There is also a faint rectangular earthwork immediately east of the chapel which survives as a rectangular ditch with an external bank enclosing an area measuring approximately 12m long by 10m wide. The summit of the hill is a well documented beacon site and it is named 'Brent Beacon' on Ogilby's map of 1675, Donn's Map and Cary's map. Dartington churchwardens' accounts of 1591, 1628 and 1690 list parish contributions for the upkeep of the beacon and the 1591 entry includes items paid for the construction of a house for the watchman. The rectangular structure is often interpreted as this house.
Nearby sites: SX 70394 61725
Distance: 1.52km
OS Map: SX 7037 6328
HER: MDV13638
Megalithic Portal: 45832
ShortName: RC:Tynacombe
Turner: A20
Notes: "Ring cairn. Thynacombe stone ring 7.5 meters in diameter internally, with bank 1.5 meters wide and 0.2 meters high, damaged on the east side."
Nearby sites: SX 7037 6328
Distance: 1.73km
Page last updated 18/02/24