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How and why the ancients enchanted Great Britain and Brittany

Art as Metaphor: The Prehistoric Rock-art of Britain

Art as Metaphor: The Prehistoric Rock-art of Britain

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<< Our Photo Pages >> White Tor (Peter Tavy) - Ancient Village or Settlement in England in Devon

Submitted by TheCaptain on Tuesday, 09 October 2007  Page Views: 10714

Multi-periodSite Name: White Tor (Peter Tavy) Alternative Name: Whittor; White Tor Camp
Country: England County: Devon Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Nearest Town: Tavistock  Nearest Village: Peter Tavy
Map Ref: SX5424078673
Latitude: 50.589542N  Longitude: 4.060524W
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
3 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.
3 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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graemefield visited on 4th Jan 2017 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 3

IanP24 TheCaptain have visited here

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by thecaptain : View of White Tor, from the Langstone. It was once thought to be an iron age hillfort, but study of the structures has shown it to be a Neolithic enclosure, adapted over the millennia. (Vote or comment on this photo)
White Tor in the Parish of Peter Tavy is a very conspicuous hill on the western edge of Dartmoor, and slopes quite steeply on all sides. The top of the hill has a double concentric oval stone wall fortified structure, and many cairns, huts and other structures within it.

It was once thought to be an iron age hillfort, but study of the structures has shown it to be a Neolithic tor enclosure, adapted over the millennia. This can be seen by the construction of some of the bronze age structures on top of the encircling walls and ditches. Many of the internal cairns and structures are associated with natural rock outcrops on the hilltop, and several of the structures have internal features.

This stone enclosure reminds me of the similar construction on Stowes Pound, at the Cheesewring on nearby Bodmin Moor.

A couple of ancient reaves align themselves to this hilltop site, and there are several ancient settlements and hut circles to be seen on the slopes of the hill.

The views from up here are absolutely superb, with a full 360 degree panorama, spoiled only slightly by the military firing range flagpoles, notice boards and warning posts.

This lovely hill is fairly easy to reach, walking east along the Lich Way from parking at Godsworthy, past Stephen's Grave and you are here.

The site was excavated in 1899 but the finds have since been lost (Silvester 1979, 188). At least eight hut circles and tor-cairns have been identified within the enclosure and both Neolithic and Medieval ceramics have been found (Devon sites & Monuments Record).

Update December 2019: This site is featured on the Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks (PDW) website - see their entries for the White Tor Fort, the White Tor (Whittor) Neolithic Enclosure, and the White Tor Fort. Cox Tor North-east and Roos Tor North-west settlements.

The fort is also recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 439744, as MDV4101 (White Tor Camp, Peter Tavy) on the Devon and Dartmoor HER, and scheduled as Historic England List Entry No. 1004584 (White Tor camp, Cudlipptown Down).
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White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by ernar : This time the picture was taken looking NW, - towards the cultivated fields W of the moor, - showing the size of the area delimited by the ramparts. (Vote or comment on this photo)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : The highest outcrops in the Fort (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : The far Eastern side of the Fort looking South (Vote or comment on this photo)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : The Western area of the Fort (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by TheCaptain : White Tor is a very conspicuous hill, sloping quite steeply on all sides. The top of the hill has a double concentric oval stone wall fortified structure, and many cairns, huts and other structures within it. This is the view from the east, from near to the northern end of the Langstone stone row. (Vote or comment on this photo)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by TheCaptain : Another view showing the double concentric oval stone wall fortified structure. This view looking north westwards.

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by ernar : Almost invisible from the path, this structure could be clearly seen in the afternoon shadows walking down White Tor Hillfort (SW) towards the path. The elements of the site include: - A Stone Circle formed by 15 small stones (up to 40/50cm high) surrounded by a small earthen bank. - An avenue flanked by two earthen banks, starting in the circle and oriented SW (235ยบ to be precise). - A s... (2 comments)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : This is a massive construction for the Neolithic age, This is just outside the South West of the Fort (2 comments)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : Outcrop at White Tor Fort looking SSW towards Cox Tor and it's Cairns (1 comment)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : Some walling/cairn built against this outcrop in the Eastern area of the fort

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : Outcrop shelter in the Fort

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : The very large spread bank on the Eastern side of the Fort looking South (1 comment)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : Showing the Cairn around the South Eastern Tor Cairn (1 comment)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : The Tor Cairn in the South East part of the Fort

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : The Southern part of the Fort looking West towards the summit Cairn

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : A Cairn built around an outcrop in the Northern part of the fort

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : The summit Cairn (2 comments)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : Looking North West over Cudliptown Down from the summit cairn (3 comments)

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : Stone banks in the North Western area of the fort

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : White Tor (Peter Tavy), The Largest Tor Cairn in the Middle of the Enclosure

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : White Tor (Peter Tavy), The Three main Tor Cairns, The one in the foreground is at the South East of the Enclosure, The One in the background on the Left is in the middle of the enclosure, and in the background on the Right is the Tor Cairn on the Northern side of the Enclosure

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : White Tor (Peter Tavy), Outcrops in the Enclosure wall at the South East

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : White Tor (Peter Tavy), Looking West over the South Western Cairn

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : White Tor (Peter Tavy), Southern part of the Enclosure looking South East

White Tor (Peter Tavy)
White Tor (Peter Tavy) submitted by Bladup : White Tor (Peter Tavy), The South Eastern part of the Enclosure looking East

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 279m SSE 166° South of White Tor Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (SX543784)
 351m E 90° East of White for cairn 2* Cairn (SX5459278664)
 355m E 85° Cairns East of White Tor* Cairn (SX5459578695)
 371m E 89° East of White Tor cairn 3* Cairn (SX5461278668)
 422m SSW 211° White Tor Long Cairn* Cairn (SX5401478316)
 453m E 86° East of White Tor Cairn 4* Cist (SX5469478690)
 577m WNW 297° Cudlipptown Down Cairn (SX5373278949)
 661m WSW 253° Cudliptown Down Enclosed Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX536785)
 719m ENE 78° Langstone Moor row 2* Stone Row / Alignment (SX54957880)
 780m E 84° The Langstone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SX55027873)
 800m ENE 76° Langstone Moor stone row* Stone Row / Alignment (SX5502278851)
 867m E 80° Langstone Moor 3 Stone Row / Alignment (SX55107880)
 961m SE 140° Langstone Moor Cairn Circle* Ring Cairn (SX54847792)
 1.1km SSE 165° Wedlake Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (SX545776)
 1.2km SSE 146° Cairns North of Roos Tor* Cairn (SX5488477645)
 1.4km S 186° Roos Tor north west* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX5403977254)
 1.5km ESE 107° Langstone Moor circle* Stone Circle (SX5563478198)
 1.6km ESE 109° Langstone Moor 2* Cairn (SX55737812)
 1.6km ESE 117° Langstone Moor settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX55687790)
 2.0km ENE 74° Cocks Hill West Cairn* Cairn (SX5618579154)
 2.1km S 177° Roos Tor Rocks* Rock Outcrop (SX543766)
 2.3km SSW 195° Cox Tor north east* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX536765)
 2.6km ENE 75° White Barrow (Cocks Hill) Cairn (SX568793)
 2.7km N 9° Standon Hill Cairn Cairn (SX5473781373)
 2.8km SSW 204° Cox Tor Summit Cairns* Cairn (SX53067618)
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"White Tor (Peter Tavy)" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
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Re: White Tor (Peter Tavy) by Anonymous on Tuesday, 28 April 2020
I found this site very interesting from photography sent to us here in New Zealand. I've noted the double walled fortifications and the rocks presumably from former buildings plus a tower base, the latter from the photo with a pole protruding from its centre. I presume the building was between the Early Bronze age and the Iron Age as mentioned there were early clay vessels found on the site PPN (Pre Pottery Neolithic) a time when pottery was invented. Thank you for your most interesting site.
Rodger Bodle .
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