<< Our Photo Pages >> Roundy Park Cairn - Cairn in England in Devon
Submitted by AngieLake on Wednesday, 13 July 2011 Page Views: 8571
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Roundy Park Cairn Alternative Name: Grinsell Lyford40; Dixon 15; Butler (V2 27.4); Roundy ParkCountry: England County: Devon Type: Cairn
Nearest Town: Princetown Nearest Village: Postbridge
Map Ref: SX6392079669
Latitude: 50.600833N Longitude: 3.924224W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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AngieLake has visited here
This is a beautiful area with many ancient sites to explore.
Butler, writing in his 'Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities', Vol. 2, The North, writes:
"This site is best known for the massive cist outside the north-eastern wall of Roundy Park enclosure, one of the largest cists on Dartmoor. It now stands clear of the much-denuded cairn, its large size necessitating two cover stones and seven side slabs instead of the usual four. When discovered by Burnard in 1893 it had already been emptied and the contents piled alongside. Nothing was found amongst this rubble but he recovered two small fragments of flint and some burnt bones from the debris left inside. He also noticed that one of the end slabs was propped up by a 'cooking stone', perhaps one discarded from the settlement alongside. The cist had been slightly restored as Burnard re-erected two side slabs that had fallen and replaced one of the cover stones.
The cairn lies in contact with the prehistoric circuit wall, now a stony bank 0.3m high and spread to 4.0m across, which has been entirely overbuilt by the present dilapidated field wall. Traces of prehistoric occupation have not been completely removed from within the enclosure though no doubt much has disappeared. The probable foundations of at least 5 huts built against the outer wall yet remain, all associated with curved rubble banks which cut off small sections around the edge but leave most of the interior open."
End of quote.
From here one can look up to Broad Down which is the large hill that has dominated the view ahead during the walk up the west side of the river valley. On its slopes are two enclosures: the very large Broadun Settlement and the smaller more oval Broadun Ring. They're not very easy to see from below, but once up there, command views down the valley, especially to Roundy Park.
Update November 2019: This cist is featured on the Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks (PDW) website - see their entry for the Roundy Park, Postbridge Cist, which tells us this is: "One of the largest cists on Dartmoor. Discovered in August 1893 by Robert Burnard, who was responsible for the restoration of the grave".
The cist is also recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 442513, as MDC5935 (Cairn with cist on north-western side of Roundy Park enclosure) on the Devon and Dartmoor HER, and scheduled as part of Historic England List Entry No. 1021332 (Roundy Park prehistoric enclosure and cairn with cist, 560m north east of Archerton).
Note: Going for Bronze Exhibition all month and walks Fri 22–Sat 23 & Sat 30 July
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
58m ESE 119° Roundy Park settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX63977964)
310m SW 227° Chittaford Down Platform Cairn Circle and Cist* Cairn (SX6368779463)
458m WNW 303° Broadun Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX6354179928)
555m NNW 335° Broadun Ring* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX6369980178)
633m SW 220° Chittaford Down cairn circle and cist* Cist (SX6350179193)
727m SE 139° Archerton Newtake Cist* Cist (SX6438179105)
813m S 184° Archerton Tennis Court cist* Cist (SX63847886)
829m ESE 102° Ringhill Stone Row / Alignment (SX64737948)
887m SSE 167° Archerton Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX6410078800)
1.1km SE 138° National Park Visitors Centre Postbridge* Museum (SX6463578836)
1.3km ESE 109° Maggie Cross* Ancient Cross (SX6516679216)
1.5km SW 232° Hollowcome Cairn and Cist* Cist (SX62757879)
1.5km SSE 148° Lakehead Newtake Cist* Cairn (SX64687838)
1.6km SW 230° Hollowcombe Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (SX627787)
1.6km SSE 160° Kraps Ring* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX64427814)
1.8km N 359° Lade Hill Brook Beehive Hut* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (SX63938145)
2.0km SSE 166° Lakehead Cairn Circle 1* Ring Cairn (SX6435677766)
2.0km N 5° White Ridge SW cairn* Round Cairn (SX64158162)
2.0km SSW 201° Arch Tor* Cairn (SX63167784)
2.0km S 169° Lakehead Hill 2* Cist (SX6425077696)
2.0km NE 43° Stannon Newtake West Cairn and row* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65338110)
2.1km NE 47° Stannon Newtake cist* Cist (SX65468105)
2.1km SSE 166° Lakehead Hill W* Stone Row / Alignment (SX6437977653)
2.1km SSE 165° Lakehead Hill* Stone Row / Alignment (SX644776)
2.1km SSE 163° Lakehead Hill E* Stone Row / Alignment (SX6449577603)
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