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Inscribed Across the Landscape: The Cursus Monuments of Great Britain

Inscribed Across the Landscape: The Cursus Monuments of Great Britain

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Kestor Settlement - Ancient Village or Settlement in England in Devon

Submitted by TheCaptain on Saturday, 15 February 2020  Page Views: 13307

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Kestor Settlement Alternative Name: Kestor Enclosed Settlement
Country: England County: Devon Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Nearest Town: Chagford  Nearest Village: Teigncombe
Map Ref: SX66538633  Landranger Map Number: 191
Latitude: 50.661304N  Longitude: 3.889765W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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PAB whese001 would like to visit

Anne T visited on 16th May 2019 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Kestor Settlement (of which Round Pound is part of): Only across the road from the Round Pound, which I learned later was part of this settlement and not separate from it, as we walked up the slope to the east of Round Pound, I couldn’t believe the amount, and quality, of the structures that remained here. At first, it was all a little mind-boggling, but then Sandy G produced a plan of the site, and I kept asking where we were on the plan, so I could sort my photographs accordingly. The views to the east and north east would have been quite amazing, had it not been for the mist around that day. At home, I poured over Butler's "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities", volume 2, pages 170 onwards, which has a map of the settlement and descriptions of the field systems and the individual houses and enclosures within it. Brilliant!

SandyG visited on 1st Jan 1999 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 3 Parking is usually available at NGR SX 6680 8655. Allow at least a day to explore this amazing prehistoric landscape.

Andy B: would like to visit Visited by Neil Oliver in Episode Four of A History of Ancient Britain

TheCaptain AngieLake cazzyjane have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.5 Ambience: 4.5 Access: 3.5

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 19. Iron Age flagstone surface beside the doorway. View from north. (Scale 2m and 500mm). (Vote or comment on this photo)
On the slopes of Kestor, Chagford Comon, are the remains of a large ancient settlement with around twenty-seven hut circles. Apart from the major bronze age remains to be found, evidence of settlement dating back to the Neolithic and even before have been found here. The remains of many huts can be seen, but perhaps more impressive are the associated field systems and boundary walls.

Much of this boundary walling is made from massive slabs set edge on, and even today is in use as modern boundaries. It also looks pretty impressive.

On the lower slopes, at the outskirts of this settlement, is the impressive Round Pound, which forms part of the Kestor Settlement.

Update November 2019: This site is recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 443518, as MDV6114 (Kes Tor Field System) on the Devon and Dartmoor HER, and scheduled as Historic England List ID 1016691 (Coaxial field system and prehistoric settlements at Kestor).

The Kestor Enclosed Settlement also features on the Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks website - see their entries for the Kestor Enclosed Settlement and the Round Pound and Kes Tor Settlements, which adds that "The Kestor Settlement includes the Round Pound".

Jeremy Butler, in his book "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities", volume 2, pages 170 to 173 inclusive, also gives details and plans of this site.

Note: Photos from the excavation in 2005, and a link to the excavation report in the comments. Also photos from our visit last May.
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Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by AngieLake : The 'NE' hut circle and its lovely old tree, looking over a wall [bottom left corner] surrounding private land. (3 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by thecaptain : Some more of the substantial field wall remains of the ancient Kestor Settlement. The entire hill here is covered in the ancient remains of ancient huts and field systems. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 19. Subsoil exposed throughout most of the house. View from north-west. (Scale 2m and 500mm). (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 19. House walls. View from south-east. (Scale 2m and 500mm). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Open area excavation within the house during the final season (2005). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by AngieLake : Excavation at a hut circle in Kestor Settlement back in 2004 [?]. Turning out old magazines today and found this item. We probably have a photo of this hut circle that we can match the picture with. (2 comments)

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by Bladup : Kestor Settlement, A substantial hut - SX66468678.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by AngieLake : Nice place to live, with nice views! (Toward Scorhill Tor, left.)

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by AngieLake : The same one as previously, from higher up the slope. This one's rather nice, and the view on this lovely morning is across the river valley towards Scorhill Tor (above centre of hut), which unlike most Dartmoor tors is low down on the contour of the hill. I don't think there is a route through that way to Scorhill circle, though! [March 2011]

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by AngieLake : Just an example of the sort of 'suspicious' stones that are used to make the newtake walls up on Dartmoor. This one definitely looks as if it might have belonged to a circle at one time. If not, they were the type of ready-made angular-shaped ones preferred by the ancient builders. (Along the wall near the NE hut circle.)

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by AngieLake : Looking SW to Shovel Down, this nice little hut circle lies on the NW-facing slope above the road to Batworthy. (On reaching the road, the Round Pound would be about 100 yards or more to my right.) The far end of those trees is Batworthy Corner.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by AngieLake : Walking back from Scorhill, Kestor Rock was lit by late sunlight as it was silhouetted against a brooding sky. (Viewed across the SW walls of Batworthy newtake.)

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by AngieLake : I'm guessing that this is Hut 13 as mentioned in Butlers 'Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities Vol Two - the North'. It certainly took my breath away back in November, when my friend took me there. I'd love to wake up to that view today! (Butler says: ".. hut 13 (8.4m is in a splendid state of preservation. The exceptionally thick wall, up to 3.5m across, has a complete inner facing of massive gran...

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 19. Plan illustrating the position of principal features in the Middle Bronze Age.The green flagstones were added at a later time in the MBA.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 19. Bronze Age flagstone surface next to the doorway. View from north.(Scale 500mm).

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 19. Plan of the excavated house showing many of the principal features. Post holes and other cuts are shown green and stake holes are shown red.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 19. Pre-excavation earthwork survey.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : The Kestor settlements is situated within a substantial coaxial field system formed by reaves. This is a short length of one of those reaves.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 13. View from the north west.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 13. Detail of the substantial western wall of the building. View from south west.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 13. View from the south.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 14. Plan of the building carried out in 2004 by the Dartmoor Archaeology and Bracken Project.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by SandyG : Roundhouse 14. View from north west.

Kestor Settlement
Kestor Settlement submitted by Anne T : Getting closer to Kes Tor Outcrop, the stones in the field boundary become taller before petering out. Photo taken 16th May 2019.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 53m S 176° Kes Tor Cairn* Cairn (SX6653286277)
 54m SSE 157° Kes Tor Rock Basin* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SX66558628)
 283m NE 46° Modern Stone Circle near Kestor Rock* Modern Stone Circle etc (SX66748652)
 538m NNW 344° The Round Pound* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX66398685)
 544m WSW 255° Shovel Down row 1* Stone Row / Alignment (SX660862)
 593m WSW 256° Shovel Down row 2* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65958620)
 651m WSW 241° Shovel Down Fourfold Circle* Stone Circle (SX65958603)
 660m WSW 254° Shovel Down row 3* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65898616)
 667m SW 234° Shovel Down row 4* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65988595)
 671m WSW 238° Shovel Down* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65958599)
 688m SW 229° Shovel Down Cairn Row 4* Cairn (SX66008589)
 720m WSW 258° Shovel Down stone circle* Stone Circle (SX65828620)
 727m SW 223° Shovel Down row 5* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX66028581)
 819m SW 216° The Longstone (Shovel Down)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SX66038568)
 845m WSW 238° Shovel Down Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX658859)
 901m SW 214° Shovel Down row 6* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX660856)
 965m SSW 204° Thornworthy Corner North Cist (SX66118546)
 985m SSW 209° Three Boys* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SX66038548)
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 1.3km NW 305° The Tolmen Stone (Dartmoor)* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SX65508708)
 1.3km S 172° Thornworthy Down Stone Row / Alignment (SX66688505)
 1.4km NW 309° Scorhill Cairn and Rows* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65488721)
 1.4km WSW 239° Stonetor Brookhead East Cist (SX65288563)
 1.5km NW 313° Scorhill* Stone Circle (SX65468738)
 1.5km SW 235° Stonetor Hill Cairn Circle* Cairn (SX6525085470)
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"Kestor Settlement" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: Kestor Settlement by SandyG on Friday, 14 February 2020
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A report on the excavation of the round house at Teigncombe ( NGR SX 6680 8655) is available online. ACE Archaeology Excavation Report
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Re: Kestor Settlement by TheCaptain on Saturday, 05 March 2011
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Streetview of one of the hut circles (possibly as featured on TV this week).


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