Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks, walking the Stone Rows and Stone Circles of Dartmoor
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Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Prehistoric Sites

Prehistoric sites featured on Dartmoor Walks

The following sites are featured on the walks on this website. Click on the header or the picture on the left to go to the page for the site which will include a more detailed description and photographs. Each site listing includes a link to the walk that features the site and an OS grid reference for the site. Clicking on the grid reference will open a page including an OS map of the site and a Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks database listing of monuments within 2km of the site. For more comprehensive listings of prehistoric monuments on Dartmoor see the Database Listings section on the Resources page in the menu above.

Assycombe Double Stone Row

Assycombe Double Stone Row

This site is located within Fernworthy forrest (SX66058265). The Warren House Inn: Fernworthy and Grey Wethers walk could ve adapted toincorprate this site. This row is located in a clearing within Fernworthy Forest and can be reached by entering through the gate located at SX66078190. When discovered this row was on open moorland long before the forestation of the area.

Belstone, Nine Maidens Cairn Circle

Belstone Cairn Circle

This site is featured on the Okehampton: Belstone and Cosdon Hill walk (SX61239284). The Nine Stones cairn circle actually consists of 16 stones and is thought to be complete and original.

Brisworthy Stone Circle

Brisworthy Stone Circle

This site is featured on the Burrator 3: Ringmoor, Brisworthy Circle and Legis Pound walk (SX56476549). The Brisworthy circle underwent major reconstruction in 1909.

Burford Down Stone Row and Cairns

Burford Down Stone Row and Cairns

This site is featured on the Ivybridge 2: West Erme - Burford, Stalldown and Erme Rows and Cairns walk (SX63706017). On Burford Down near Tristis Rock are settlements and two cairns. Around 90m to the west are the remains of the cairn that head the Burford Down Cairn Circle and Stone Row. This stone row is one of four stone rows in this vicinity that are over half a kilometre long and approximately north-south in alignment. The others being the Upper Erme, Stalldown and Butterdon Hill stone rows.

Cator Pound, Settlement and Droveway

This site is featured on the Postbridge: Soussons Circle, Cator Pound, Challacombe walk, Cator Pound (SX67307765).

Challacombe Triple Stone Row

This site is featured on the Postbridge: Soussons Circle, Cator Pound, Challacombe walk (SX68968086). This triple row is well preserved and largely in its original state having undergone only a very minor reconstruction in 1893.

Corringdon Ball Chambered Tomb

This is one of the few neolithic tombs on Dartmoor and it is featured on the Ivybridge 3: The Neolithic tombs of Cuckoo Ball & Corringdon Ball walk. These photos are of the Corringdon Ball Chambered Tomb (SX66946131) and the Corrigndon Ball stone rows.

Cosdon Hill Triple Stone Row

This impressive site is featured on the Okehampton: Belstone and Cosdon Hill walk (SX64329159).

Cuckoo Ball Chambered Tomb & Butterdon Hill LOng Cairn

There are few neolithic tombs on Dartmoor and these are featured on the Ivybridge 3: The Neolithic tombs of Cuckoo Ball & Corringdon Ball walk. These photos are of the Cuckoo Ball Chambered Tomb (SX65965819) and the Butterdon Hill Long Cairn (SX66015859). Also included are photos of the Cantrell stone row which is not far from cuckkoo Ball.

Down Tor Stone Row and Cairn Circle

Down Tor Stone Row and Cairn Circle

This site is featured on the Burrator 1: Down Tor Stone Row and Cairn Circle walk (SX58696926). The Down Tor Row and Cairn Circle actually resides on Hingston Hill near Down Tor. This site is particularly impressive and is thought to look much as it would have done originally. The site, including the large stone near the cairn, was restored in 1894 by Burnard with fallen stones re-erected in their original sockets. The slight curve in the row is an original feature.

Drizzlecombe Ceremonial Complex

This site is featured on the Burrator 2: Yellowmead and Drizzlecombe walk. These photos are of the Drizzlecombe Ceremonial Complex (SX59206700) which is located on the slope ascending Higher Hartor Tor. The combination of stone rows and burial sites, 22 cairns in total, is one of the most remarkable on Dartmoor. There are 3 stone rows with large cairns at the uphill end and massive terminating standing stones at the downhill end - one of these being the tallest standing stone on Dartmoor. To the side of the site is the massive Giant's Basin Cairn.

Dunnabridge Pound

This site is featured on the Postbridge: multiple sites on Lakehead Hill near Bellever walk (SX64627465). Dunnabridge Pound is a prehistoric pound which was reused in the medieval period. It is most famous for the Judges Chair.

Upper Erme Stone Row & Cairn Circle

Erme Stone Row & Cairn Circle

This site is featured on the Ivybridge 2: West Erme - Burford, Stalldown and Erme Rows and Cairns walk (SX63526443).

Fernworthy Stone Circle

Fernworthy Stone Circle

This site is featured on the Warren House Inn: Fernworthy and Grey Wethers walk (SX65488411). The Fernworthy circle is part of a group of ceremonial monuments including 3 stone rows and 5 cairns. The circle is remarkably intact with all but 2 stones still in their original places. The circle is thought to date from 4000 years ago; it is 20m in diameter and consists of 27 small stones.

Foggintor Quarry

This site is featured on the Princetown 1: Merrivale Complex & Walkhampton Settlements walk (SX56647354). There are no prehistoric sites included here - just an interesting and beautiful place!

Grey Wethers Double Stone Circle

Grey Wethers Double Stone Circle

This site is featured on the Warren House Inn: Fernworthy and Grey Wethers walk (SX63878313). This site is one of the most impressive on Dartmoor. The circles were restored in 1909 by Burnard. At the time only 9 stones remained standing in the north circle and 7 in the south circle. It is thought that the reconstruction is fairly accurate. The circles are separated by a few meters and are almost identical.

Grimspound Prehistoric Settlement

Grimspound Prehistoric Settlement

This site is not far from Warren House Inn and can be reached via a circular walk around Headland Warren pasing the Vittifer Mine and the edge of Soussons Common.

Hart Tor Stone Row & Cairn Circle

Hart Tor Stone Row & Cairn Circle

This site is featured on the Burrator 1: Down Tor Stone Row and Cairn Circle walk (SX57717169). The Hart Tor Double Row and Cairn Circle ...

Hound Tor Medieval Village

Hound Tor Medieval Village

This site is not featured on any of the walks on this website as it was not visited using public transport - there is car parking near Hound Tor. The Hound Tor medieval village (SX74627880) is thought to have been under continuous occupation for a few hundred years until around 1350.

Hurston Ridge Double Stone Row

Hurston Ridge Double Stone Row

Hurston Ridge Double Stone Row near Fernworthy Forest. This site is featured on the Warren House Inn: Fernworthy and Grey Wethers walk (SX67298249). This impressive site is one of the best preserved double stone rows on Dartmoor.

Lakehead Hill: Cairn Circles, Cists & Settlements

This site is featured on the Postbridge: multiple sites on Lakehead Hill near Bellever walk (SX64387765). The area includes multiple cairn circles, cists, a stone row and settlements.

Guide to the Langcombe Brook & Deadman's Bottom Cists

A guide to the numerous cists along Langcombe Brook & Deadman's Bottom (SX60866640). These sites are not featured on any of the walsk but canbe reached from Princetown by passing Nuns Cross farm and corrsingthe River Plym at Plym Steps.

Langstone Moor Stone Circle, Stone Row & Settlements

This site is featured on the Princetown 2: White Tor Fort & Langstone Moor Circle & Settlements walk (SX55027886). Langstone Moor takes it's name from a large standing stone . The Langstone Moor standing stone and also the stone circle were used for target practice by American troops who were stationed nearby during the Second World War. Bullet holes can be seen on the Langstone standing stone and the circle was sadly smashed to smithereens. The Langstone Moor Settlement consists of 51 huts and a number of associated enclosures. The hut circles are well preserved as are those within the clitter on the western slopes of Little Mis Tor where there are 3 main settlements.

Laughter Tor Stone Row

This site is featured on the Postbridge: multiple sites on Lakehead Hill near Bellever walk (SX65217539). Laughter Tor Double Stone Row and the Longstone.

Legis Tor Settlements and Tin Workings

Legis Tor Settlements and Tin Workings

This site is featured on the Burrator 3: Ringmoor, Brisworthy Circle and Legis Pound walk (SX56936527).

Little Hound Tor Stone Circle

This site is featured on the Okehampton: Belstone and Cosdon Hill walk (SX63278961). The circle is in good condition today but only 13 stones remained standing when the Dartmoor Exploration Committee re-erected 5 of the stones in 1896.

Headless Cross (Maximajor Stone), Mardon Down Stone Circle & Cairns

Mardon Down Stone Circle & Cairns

This site is featured on the Moretonhampstead: Mardon Down Stone Circle & Cairns walk. Mardon Down stone circle (SX76768719) is the biggest on Dartmoor with a diameter of 38m. The site would have been impressive in its day but is now fairly dilapidated. The circle would have originally had around 61 stones, of which 6 remain upright and another 16 lie roughly in place. Along the ridge of Mardon Down are an alignment of cairns including the Giants Grave and an impressive cairn circle with a well preserved ring of large slabs. On the slopes of Mardon is the Headless Cross, or Maximajor Stone.

Merrivale Complex [Photo Set 1]

This site is featured on the Princetown 1: Merrivale Complex & Walkhampton Settlements walk (SX55557482). The Merrivale site includes a standing stone, stone rows, circle and burial cairns. This set of photos features hut circles and one of the main stone rows. For much greater detail, see Photo Set 2

Merrivale Complex [Photo Set 2]

This site is featured on the Princetown 1: Merrivale Complex & Walkhampton Settlements walk (SX55357459). The Merrivale site includes a standing stone, stone rows, circle and burial cairns. This set of photos includes much detail from the site.

Piles Hill Double Stone Row

Piles Hill Double Stone Row and Cairns

This site is featured on the Ivybridge 1: East Erme - Butterdon Hill, Piles Hill & Corrington Ball walk (SX65436074). Butler describes this site: "The double stone row across the north end of Piles Hill would have been by far the most imposing of those that have survived on the moor, exceeded by few others in the country and comparable in scale with the great alignments at Carnac. If it had been recognised in the last century no doubt the Dartmoor Exploration Committee would have arranged for its restoration, as its present condition is far from impressive." Of the 120 remaining stones only 12 remain earthfast. The rest are lying flat mostly where they fell with the long axis aligned along the row.

Ringmoor Down Stone Row &  Cairn Circle

Ringmoor Down Stone Row & Cairn Circle

This site is featured on the Burrator 3: Ringmoor, Brisworthy Circle and Legis Pound walk (SX56336580). The Ringmoor Down stone row and cairn circle was reconstructed in 1909 and may not be very true to the original structure.

Round Pound and Kes Tor Settlements

This site is featured on the Warren House Inn: Kestor, Shovel Down & Scorhill Stone Circle walk (SX66308680). A large prehistoric settlement covers all but the south western slopes of Kes Tor. The Bronze Age farmers built reaves and hut circles in this area. On the northern side of Batworthy Lane is the Round Pound - a prehistoric enclosure.

Scorhill Stone Circle

This site is featured on the Warren House Inn: Kestor, Shovel Down & Scorhill Stone Circle walk (SX65468738). The Scorhill Stone Circle is one of Dartmoor's most attractive sites. It has not been restored and is believed to have been in its current state since the early nineteenth century. It is thought the circle would originally have had about 60 stones. Today 23 of the remaining 34 stones remain standing in a true circle 27m across.

Shovel Down Ceremonial Complex

This site is featured on the Warren House Inn: Kestor, Shovel Down & Scorhill Stone Circle walk. The Shovel Down Ceremonial Complex (SX65978596) consists of a stone circle, multiple stone rows and a 4-fold cairn circle.

Soussons Cairn Circle

This site is featured on the Postbridge: Soussons Circle, Cator Pound, Challacombe walk (SX67517869) - an impressive cairn circle consisting of 22 stones.

Spinsters' Rock

Spinsters' Rock (SX70099078) is according to the plaque near the site: "A Neolithic burial chamber erected around 3500-2500 BC. This chamber probably contained many burials and would originally have been covered by a long earthen mound. The stones fell down in 1862 and were re-erected in the same year. Traditionally the monument was erected by three spinsters one morning before breakfast". It is also claimed that there was once a complex of stone circles and avenues across the road near Bradmere Pool.

Stalldown Stone Row

Stalldown Stone Row [Photo Set 1]

This site is featured on the Ivybridge 2: West Erme - Burford, Stalldown and Erme Rows and Cairns walk (SX63216207).The enormous size of the stones used in the Stalldown stone row makes it one of the most impressive rows on Dartmoor. The row was in a ruinous state with most of the stones lying flat when it was restored by Baring-Gould in 1897. There are a number of cairns on Stalldown.

Hillson's House, Cairn on Stalldown Barrow

Stalldown Stone Row [Photo Set 2]

This site is featured on the Ivybridge 2: West Erme - Burford, Stalldown and Erme Rows and Cairns walk (SX63666228). This set of photos includes Hillson's House and more of Stalldown Stone Row.

Trowlesworthy Row and Cairn Circle

Trowlesworthy Row and Cairn Circle

This site is featured on the Burrator 3: Ringmoor, Brisworthy Circle and Legis Pound walk (SX57646398). There are two stone rows headed by cairns thought to be largely in their original state. There is a double stone row with a cairn circle known as the Pulpit, also a near by single stone row with cairn circle. On the slopes of Great Trowlesworthy there are extensive enclosures and settlements.

Walkhampton and Yes Tor Bottom Settlements

This site is featured on the Princetown 1: Merrivale Complex & Walkhampton Settlements walk (SX56747286). The Yes Tor Bottom settlement includes numerous well preserved huts, several within an irregular enclosure.

White Tor Fort. Cox Tor North-east and Roos Tor North-west settlements

This site is featured on the Princetown 2: White Tor Fort & Langstone Moor Circle & Settlements walk (SX54237867). This site includes Cox Tor North-east settlements near Wedlake and one of the largest settlements on Dartmoor, Roos Tor North-west settlement, with 73 huts. White Tor Fort has two massive concentric walls. Cairns and hut circles are scattered inside and outside the walls of the fort. The White Tor site is thought to be Neolithic in origins.

Yellowmead 4-circle Cairn

This site is featured on the Burrator 2: Yellowmead and Drizzlecombe walk. The impressive Yellowmead 4-fold Cairn Circle (SX57486785) was re-erected by the Rev. Hugh Breton in 1921 in a restoration job that R.H. Worth described as being 'very faithfully done'. In 2008 a geophysics survey and small scale archaeological digs confirmed that 'the monument was well reconstructed'.

Page last updated 26/3/12