Featured: Friendly specialist tours to ancient, mystical and historical sites in the UK and beyond

Friendly specialist tours to ancient, mystical and historical sites in the UK and beyond

Temples of Stone: Exploring the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland

Temples of Stone: Exploring the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland

Who's Online

There are currently, 316 guests and 3 members online.

You are a guest. To join in, please register for free by clicking here

Sponsors

<< Our Photo Pages >> Roborough Down Earthworks - Hillfort in England in Devon

Submitted by TheCaptain on Tuesday, 15 March 2011  Page Views: 9002

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Roborough Down Earthworks
Country: England County: Devon Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Plymouth  Nearest Village: Roborough
Map Ref: SX50556415
Latitude: 50.458092N  Longitude: 4.106793W
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
no data Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
no data 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
4

Internal Links:
External Links:

I have visited· I would like to visit

mikeaitch visited on 14th Mar 2011 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 5

IanP24 have visited here

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by mikeaitch : Outer bank South East side. (Vote or comment on this photo)
"The Earthworks" on Roborough Down, near Yelverton, are an archaeological puzzle.

In 2005, volunteers from the Dartmoor Preservation Association (DPA) and Roborough Commoners Association joined forces to clear the scrub which has hidden the historic site for centuries. DPA development officer Dru Butterfield said "This is a massive task and we have to work quickly to clear the scrub before the bird nesting season starts. No one knows for sure exactly what "The Earthworks" are. They are one of the remaining mysteries of Dartmoor's past. Hopefully, clearing the site will enable archaeologists from the Dartmoor National Park Authority and English Heritage to solve the puzzle at last".

Update November 2019: This site is classed as a fort by Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks (PDW) - see their entry for the Roborough Down Fort, which tells us these are "Iron Age Earthworks". The site is also recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 439548, and as MDV2366 (Roborough Down Camp, 180 metres north-east of Higher Lodge) on the Devon and Dartmoor HER.
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.


Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by mikeaitch : Inner bank East side. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by mikeaitch : Outer bank South West side. Meg' Hunter demonstrating incline and width of bank. (Scale: same size as a Springer) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by IanP24 : Within 100m SSW of Roborough Down Earthwork there are many depressions which seem to mark out the existence of earlier structures. Some of these depressions could be socket where rocks have been removed for agricultural repurposing. Others where timber structures once set into the ground, have now rotted completely away. This picture shows a circular depression about 14m diameter which is ne... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by IanP24 : Within 100m SSW of Roborough Down Earthwork there are many depressions which seem to mark out the existence of earlier structures. Some of these depressions could be socket where rocks have been removed for agricultural repurposing. Others where timber structures once set into the ground, have now rotted completely away. This picture shows four aligned depressions, spaced at about 3m and aro... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Third Roborough Down Earthworks
Third Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by IanP24 : Improved Picture including measuring pole (150mm/6in divisions) This is a picture of the Outer (15m dia) circle illustrating the size of the outer bank by use of the Measuring pole. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Third Roborough Down Earthworks
Third Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by IanP24 : Improved Picture including measuring pole (150mm/6in divisions) This is a picture of the Outer (15m dia) and Inner (7m dia) circles. A Measuring pole is standing at the coaxial centre of the circles. ... This is a Repeat Picture; Overlaid to show the positions of the circles more clearly.

Third Roborough Down Earthworks
Third Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by IanP24 : Improved Picture including measuring pole (150mm/6in divisions) This is a picture of the Outer (15m dia) and Inner (7m dia) circles. A Measuring pole is standing at the coaxial centre of the circles. ... The next entry shows the same picture overlaid to show the positions of the circles more clearly.

Third Roborough Down Earthworks
Third Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by IanP24 : Apologies for poor quality of the picture. This is a picture of the inner (7m dia) and outer (15m dia) circles. The walking pole in the foreground is standing on the outer circle wall.

Third Roborough Down Earthworks
Third Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by IanP24 : Apologies, this is not the clearest picture (green on green). This is one half of the circle. A walking pole is stuck in the ground in the gully between the outer and inner circle. The outer circle bank starts at the middle bottom and sweeps round to the left then across to the right upper. Part of the the inner circle is visible to the right of the walking pole.

Second Roborough Down Earthworks
Second Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by IanP24 : Second Roborough Down Earthwork. Showing part of the inner wall (right), and the possible outer circle (left)

Second Roborough Down Earthworks
Second Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by IanP24 : Second Roborough Down Earthwork. Showing 15m dia circle, 1m high walls and 1.5m wide entry.

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by Bladup : Inside Roborough Down Earthwork.

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by Bladup : The outer bank of Roborough Down Earthwork.

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by Bladup

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by mikeaitch : View of entire South side of earthwork demonstrating its raised position on Roborough Down from the nearby parking area.

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by mikeaitch : One of many large depressions on the North side, possible result of mining or WWII bombing activity.

Roborough Down Earthworks
Roborough Down Earthworks submitted by mikeaitch : Trig point in front of outer bank East side.

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.
Click here to see more info for this site

Nearby sites

Click here to view sites on an interactive OS map

Key: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed

Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)

To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.


Turn off the page maps and other distractions

Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 196m ESE 112° Second Roborough Down Earthworks* Hillfort (SX50736407)
 261m ESE 120° Third Roborough Down Earthworks* Misc. Earthwork (SX5077364013)
 3.2km NNE 16° Roborough Rocks* Rock Outcrop (SX515672)
 3.3km E 91° Dewerstone* Causewayed Enclosure (SX53876399)
 3.9km E 84° Wigford Down 1* Stone Circle (SX5442464421)
 4.0km N 6° Crapstone Down Barrows Barrow Cemetery (SX511681)
 4.2km ENE 77° Wigford Down 4* Cairn (SX5469364969)
 4.2km ENE 77° Wigford Down 5* Cairn (SX5470264962)
 4.2km ENE 76° Wigford Down 9 Cairn (SX5469065050)
 4.8km E 82° Cadover Cross* Ancient Cross (SX553647)
 4.8km E 97° Shaugh Moor Cairns* Cairn (SX5531763467)
 4.9km NE 55° Marchant's Cross* Ancient Cross (SX54626681)
 4.9km E 96° Shaugh Moor North Cairn Circle Cairn (SX5541063490)
 4.9km E 97° Shaugh Moor Circle* Stone Circle (SX554634)
 4.9km E 97° Shaugh Moor South Cairn Circle* Cairn (SX5541863425)
 4.9km E 98° Shaugh Moor Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX554633)
 4.9km E 97° Shaugh Moor row* Stone Row / Alignment (SX5543063443)
 5.0km E 96° Shaugh Moor Platform Cairn Circle Cairn (SX5548063470)
 5.1km ESE 107° Hawk's Tor (Shaugh Moor) Cave or Rock Shelter (SX55396250)
 5.2km ESE 109° Shaugh Moor South Stone Circle (SX554623)
 5.4km E 98° Saddlesborough Ring Cairn (SX55876321)
 5.5km ENE 78° Brisworthy Cup Stone* Rock Art (SX55986516)
 5.7km ESE 110° Collard Tor W* Stone Row / Alignment (SX5583362045)
 5.7km ESE 110° Collard Tor circle Stone Circle (SX5584062030)
 5.7km ESE 110° Collard Tor E* Stone Row / Alignment (SX55856204)
View more nearby sites and additional images

<< Karsko Chambered Tomb 1

Cold Knap Round Barrow >>

Please add your thoughts on this site

Prehistoric Settlements

Prehistoric Settlements

Sponsors

Auto-Translation (Google)

Translate from English into:

"Roborough Down Earthworks" | Login/Create an Account | 4 News and Comments
  
Go back to top of page    Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
Re: Roborough Down Earthworks by MikeAitch on Friday, 18 March 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
The Earthwork is on a slightly elevated position on Roborough Down, just off the Plymouth - Yelverton road. This Early Iron Age Camp is approximately 90m across, the circular inner and outer bank are no more than 1m at their highest.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Roborough Down Earthworks by h_fenton on Tuesday, 15 March 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=439548
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Roborough Down Earthworks by MikeAitch on Wednesday, 16 March 2011
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Nice find Hamish, I notice their monument details were last updated 2004, will be interesting to see if the 2005 investigation tallies with the Early Iron Age Camp classification.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Roborough Down Earthworks by Andy B on Tuesday, 15 March 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
MikeAitch wrote:
I paid a visit to the Roborough Down Earthwork today, does anyone know anything about the findings from the 2005 investigation please or if it goes by another name? Google aerial view is best as the Bing one is pre 2005 and covered with gorse/bracken.
[ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
Subject:


Add your comment or contribution to this page. Spam or offensive posts are deleted immediately, don't even bother

<<< What is five plus one as a number? (Please type the answer to this question in the little box on the left)
You can also embed videos and other things. For Youtube please copy and paste the 'embed code'.
For Google Street View please include Street View in the text.
Create a web link like this: <a href="https://www.megalithic.co.uk">This is a link</a>  

Allowed HTML is:
<p> <b> <i> <a> <img> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <tt> <li> <ol> <ul> <object> <param> <embed> <iframe>

We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.