Lubin

The Ditsworthy cairn circle is actually across the Plym to the south of Ditsworthy Warren house, amongst the buildings of the Lower Hentor Brook settlement. It was once supposed to have surrounded two kists although there is now no sign of either.

The kist on Crow Tor is best reached by walking up the West Dart from Two Bridges.This way you can visit the settelments on the west side of Littaford and Longaford Tors and Wistmans Wood.After visiting the site if you have time it is only around a mile to the north west to the Beardown Man.

There are ten cairns to the south and west of the tor, five of them having kists, although some of them being very small to non existant. Two can be found to the west of the tor and the others are inside Black Newtake to the south west. The ones in the newtake are difficult to find as they are amongst long grass, one of them is a ring cairn.

As others have said this is an excellent place to visit. It is best approached from the Postbridge end where you can park just inside the forest at SX646788 and walk south over Lakehead Hill taking a look at Krap’s Ring settlement, then on over the top to the Lakehead cairns/kists and stone row. From here you will walk up to Bellever Tor passing the very early settlement as the hill starts to rise. Once on the top of the tor the views are outstanding. I spent some time up here one afternoon when it was so windy you had to lean into the wind to stand up, but it was well worth it. From here you can go west to the first of the Bellever kists then south to the newtake to see the others. All in all an enjoyable day out whatever the weather.

The kist on Whitchurch Down is on the south side of Barn Hill. It is easily accessible as it is only around half a mile south from the Pork Hill car park which is at SX531751.

The Crock of Gold, as it is known, sits beside the path that runs from Tor Royal to Hexworthy across the top of Royal Hill.It is quite easy to get to as the walk is mostly flat apart from the first 300 metres or so which is up hill past the farm at Bullpark.There are 5 other cairns to the south east ,3 with kists and another 2 also with kists to the north west by Blakey Tor.
Just across the valley to the north there 3 kists beside the Blackbrook River to the west of the wooden bridge, that crosses it.To the north west of these there are 2 more cairns with kists at the bottom of Round Hill and another 2 at the east and west of the summit.
All these cairns are within easy walking distance of each other and the area has superb views allround.Well worth a day out for anyone with interest in antiquities.

The cairn at Thornworthy Down sits on the south side only a few metres from the edge of Fernworthy Reservoir.When it was excavated in the 1870’s it was found to contain two kists,the one in the photo in the centre and a smaller one on the southern side.The smaller one was removed and placed on display in the Torquay museum where it remained until 2004 when it was taken to the High Moorland Centre at Princetown.

The pound at Dunnabridge has been in use for many thousands of years.The walls which can be seen now are around two metres tall and are built on the remains of a prehistoric Pound which are still visible.
It is easily accessible as it is right beside the B3357 not far east of Two Bridges.The so called Judges Chair is just inside to the left.It is said that it was brought down from the Stannery Parliament on Crocken Tor.

The Willings Walls Reave runs from Spanish Lake in a northerly direction to Hentor Brook.There is a medieval long house built very close on the left side just down hill from where the photo was taken.There are a number of reaves in the area,the Rook Reave which runs south from Shell Top,the Cholwichtown Reave which runs north west from the centre Rook Reave to Spanish Lake and the Penn Moor Reave which runs east from the centre of Rook Reave.
The area can be easily reached by walking from Cadover Bridge to Little Trowlesworthy Tor then go east to the area.

This cup marked stone stands in the east wall of Long Plantation approximatly 300 metres north of the B3357.It is one of only three found on Dartmoor.There are 14 cups on the face, which for some reason has the number 81 painted on it as you see it today but with a closer look I think the stone is upside down from when it was painted.Check the way the paint has run on the bottom of the numbers.

There is a large settlement to the east of the Yealm and to the north of the Ranny Brook.It has around sixty houses associated with it either inside or around it.The settlement is still in good condition as it is well within the moor so has not had much damage other than by the tinners who have cut two leats through it.
As I said it is well into the moor so is not that accessible.The best way is to park near to the water works at SX 630612 and walk across the moor in a north north westerly direction.The settlement will become clear on the side of the hill as you go over Stall Moor.

There is a very good settlement at Yes Tor Bottom.It is close to the Yes Tor Brook, from where it gets its name.There are a number of houses in the enclosure and in the near vicinity.It is best accessed from the disused Princetown railway track,either by walking from Princetown and going south [down hill] just before the branch for Swell Tor Quarry or by walking over Leeden Tor to the railway line then going east past Ingra Tor until you come to the bridge over the Yes Tor Brook. Cross the brook and after a hundred metres or so head north east to the settlement which will be visible on the hillside in front of you.

There are a 10 cairns on Wigford Down, six on the summit,seven running down the east side towards Cadover Bridge near to some disused clay pits and one single cairn and kist to the south west near to a field wall.There is also the remains of Bronze Age field systems and huts along with a reave all taken up in the Medieval farms and fields and the remains of two Long Houses.To the north,down the hill there are also remains of tinning in the area.There is a tinners’ gully along with a reservoir and some leats.It is a good place to spend a few hours wandering around taking in all there is to see left by many millennia of occupation.
It is easy to access by parking to the north side of Cadover Bridge and walking in a north easterly direction to the summit from where there is an excellent view of the surrounding antiquities and further afield.

The Sharpitor west stone row is to the west side of the B3212.It is a single row with a cairn at the north east end and a terminal stone at the south west,it around 130 metres long.It rises up hill from the terminal stone to the cairn.There is disturbed ground a small stream and a reave crossing the lower end very close to the terminal stone.It is well worth a visit as it is a much better row than the nearby one at Goatstone Pool.

There are theee cairns in close proximity on the west side of Chittaford Down.The two shown in the photographs are the southern pair,the other one being to the north of a nearby newtake wall.They are around 8 metres in diameter and were both excavated by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in the 1890’s.Both contained wood charcoal and the eastern one some burnt bone.The third cairn was found to contain a central kist.They can be reached by walking from Postbridge up the Drift Lane to the Archerton newtake then following the wall west until it turns south west.From here follow it until it turns 90 degrees where you will see another wall which leaves the newtake at 90 degrees to the south west,this is opproximately 100 metres from the corner.This is the wall to follow ,it will take you to the cairns just over a kilometer away.Care should be taken as you near the cairns as when you come down hill along the wall there is a very wet area where the Cherry Brook needs to be crossed.As the name implies it is boggy.

The Beardown Man stands on Devil’s Tor above the Cowsic River at SX597796.It is 3.5 metres tall and is the only noteworthy prehistoric remain in the area.It can be reached by walking up the West Dart From Two Bridges,passing Wistman’s Wood ,then on to Crow Tor from where you turn north west.It is then about a mile to Devil’s Tor.Alternatively you can walk up passed the Long Plantation to Holming Beam keep north until you come to the Cowsic and follow it to SX596792 where you can turn east and climb the hill to the Tor.
If this way is taken there is a stone in the wall of the Long Plantation worth looking out for as it is a cup marked stone which is rare on Dartmoor.It is easily noticed as it is painted with the number 81.It is at SX591765.
If the other route is taken there is a well preserved Kist on the side of Crow Tor that is worth a visit.It is at SX605786.
There are some superb views from the Beardown Man.If the weather is fine it is a good place to stop a while and take it all in.

The site is best accessed by walking north east from Dunnabridge Pound.The Longstone stands to the west end of a double stone row which has a large area missing from the centre.It stands slightlyout of line to the row and is in the centre of a small cairn.It stands 2.4 metres high.

Reaves are a prehistoric form of land boundary which can be found in many different places all over Dartmoor.The Great Western Reave runs from west of Sharpitor close to the B3212 to the north of Leeden Tor where it turns north westerly to the east of King’s Tor .It then passes the east end of the Merrivale Stone rows, crosses the B3357 and enters the Merrivale Newtake. It passes through the newtake to a point opposite Shillapark farm where it turns west and is taken up in the wall of the farm.From here it runs north west over the top of Roos Tor then down the other side to a newtake wall where it turns north to pass through Whittor enclosure.The section in the photo is from Shillapark farm to the top of Roos Tor.
The Reave is accessable from many point along it’s route one of the easiest being beside the B3212 near to Sharpitor.

Biller’s Pound is situated on the south west slope of Hickaton Hill.There are the remains of 6 dwellings inside the pound and 10 outside.There is also the remains of a tinner’s building built into the wall on the south east side of it .Near by at the confluence of the Avon and the Western Wella Brook stands Huntingdon Cross. The site is best accessed by walking up the Avon from Shipley Bridge on the path to the Avon Dam and following the path on the north side of the reservoir around to Huntingdon Cross.The pound will be on the right just before the cross.
There are two other settlements on the way there these being near to where the Brockhill Stream meets the reservoir.

The Kist is situated on Piles Hill amongst 15 other Cairns.A reave runs through them and a Stone Row is close by at the head of the Butter Brook.The photo was taken looking north west with the valley of the Erme in the background.A very pleasant place to spend a warm summer evening.

This is one of 5 Kists in the area.It was excavated in the late 1800’s and charcoal and an archer’s wrist guard were found.The site is quite easy to get to from Postbridge via the Drift Lane.It is situated on the side of a hill with excellent views,on a clear day it is a good spot to stop for a while and take in the atmosphere while looking north up the valley of the Dart.