<< Our Photo Pages >> Conies Down - Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue in England in Devon
Submitted by Brian Byng on Friday, 22 October 2004 Page Views: 8934
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Conies DownCountry: England County: Devon Type: Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue
Nearest Town: Princetown Nearest Village: Two Bridges
Map Ref: SX5857378988 Landranger Map Number: 191
Latitude: 50.593440N Longitude: 3.999472W
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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I have visited· I would like to visit
TheCaptain visited on 20th Sep 2021 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 2 Day down to Dartmoor for a pilgrimmage to Beardown Man. From Maiden Hill, I now head south to look for the stone row I have dim memories of from the 1988 Lich Way moorland crossing, and as I approach down the hillside, there is a large herd of cattle, some looking at me menacingly with their horns, so I reluctantly decide to give them a wide berth, and don't get to the top of the row where there are a large group including calves laying around. Heading further down I can get to the lower end of the row, and it is clearly there, stones spaced about 4 metres apart which appear white amongst the green grass, and is just how I remember it. From here its not going to be easy to get back as other than the Lich Way going east west, there is nothing resembling a path heading south, so I decide I have to make best way I can heading up and over towards Black Dunghill after first crossing around the top of the initial bogland. Its a difficult, boggy route, made slightly easier using the occasional animal track or quad bike track in a sort of zig zag fashion until I get to the top of the ridge by the unmarked hill, from where I can make out Black Dunghill with what looks a good path over it, which I head to. Getting tired now, and the sun dropping, I sit and eat my last sandwich with mild relief as I can see a good path leading all the way back to where the car is parked. Its a simple walk back to Holming Beam, but unfortunately I now have a wet bum from sitting down, made tolerable by the fantastic views, with Beardown Man clearly visible on the horizon up to the north. It can even be seen from the track by the car park, magnificent. Back to the car about 5:20, and there is another couple out here walking along the track, so thats now 5 people I have seen all day with over 5 hours out on the moor. Change out of wet boots, and head down for a pint in the setting sun at the Two Bridges Hotel after. Lovely.
SandyG visited on 29th May 2017 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 5 Access: 1 This stone row stands within the Merrivale military live firing range and it is important that you check that there is no firing and that the range is open for visitors before you set off. It can be reached either from the west or south. If approaching from the west, car parking is available at SX 52178 77879. From the car park follow the track leading eastward. This is a bit of slog but has the advantage of passing the stone row at Langstone Moor. Alternatively, access from the south is much easier although there is no path. Car parking is available at SX 59145 76462 and from here you should head due north across Black Dunghill before crossing Conies Down Water.
A series of landmark reveals and other visual links to the surrounding landscape have been identified at Conies Down. These centre around a group of tors to the south west, but North Hessary Tor to the south and Conies Down Tor feature in what are a particularly interesting series of visual treats. The row itself is not remarkable but the way in which it seemingly relates to the surrounding landscape is.
TheCaptain visited on 3rd Apr 1988 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 2 Visited while on walk across Dartmoor on the Lich Way. Being new to Dartmoor Stone Rows, and not knowing how small the stones could be, I thought it to be very overgrown and insignificant. Knowing what I do now, its possibly quite a significant row!
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 2.33 Ambience: 4.33 Access: 1.67
This row runs almost NS actual azimuth 10 deg. It is 172m long, difficult to find as the stones are small & only about 22 remain standing. The row runs slightly uphill to to a low mound possibly the remains of a burial - no finds.
Update September 2019: This stone row is featured on the Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks (PDW) website - see their entry for the Conies Down Stone Row. PDW tells us "The Conies Down stone row is oriented a few degrees west of north-south and is 145m long. Originally a double alignment of stones, only three pairs of upright stones now survive. There are a total of 17 upright and 15 recumbent stones".
The row is also recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 439578 and scheduled as Historic England List ID 1008012 (Stone alignment on Conies Down).
The Devon and Dartmoor HER also includes a record for this row: MDV4592 (Stone Row on Conies Down).
The Stone Rows of Great Britain also includes an entry; see their page for Conies Down, which includes a description, a simplified plan of the row, photographs and access information. The SRoGB also includes a section on Landscape Reveals, demonstrating which features come into and out of view as you progress along the row, adding: "The row itself is not remarkable but the way in which it seemingly relates to the surrounding landscape is."
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468m NNE 32° Maiden Hill* Cairn (SX58837938)
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