A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



probably the great bulk of the hut-circle occupation of the moor was during a period when stone 

 implements and weapons were still in general use, but bronze was known and employed to a limited 

 extent. So far this alloy has only been found in the graves. It is not to be wondered at that it is 

 wanting in the hut circles, for it was at this period a precious commodity, and was only placed in 

 the graves as an offering to the honoured dead in a sparing manner. 



Grimspound. — This is the best example of a protected village with a very substantial 

 defensive wall and a unique example of a prehistoric settlement. It presented exceptional 

 advantages for examination, for there had been no pillaging of the wall nor of the hut circles, and 

 it was taken in hand by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in the spring of 1894. The wall 

 encloses about four acres, and within this are the ruins of twenty-four hut circles, half of which had 

 evidently been human habitations, for these had fire-holes or hearths, and the floors were strewn with 

 charcoal. The manner of the construction of these circular huts seems to have been as follows : — 

 Slabs of granite were collected and set up in a more or less perfect ring, such slabs when erected 

 being about three feet high. As these slabs often terminate in a point at the top they give the 

 extreme height of the original walls, and they agree within an inch or so of the height of the upper 

 surface of the capstones of the doorways. If slabs which would stand vertically were scarce, smaller 

 stones were laid in horizontal courses, small stones were used as fillers, and the wall was then 

 backed up outside with earth and turf. The doorways, which were generally two and a half to 

 three feet high, were formed of two jambs of granite with a lintel on the top. The entrances were 

 generally paved, and sometimes protected with curving walls so as to cut off the prevailing winds. 

 The huts usually faced south-west. 



It was ascertained that the roofs could not have been of stone constructed in bee-hive form, but 

 were probably of rush-thatch laid on poles wigwam fashion ; it would have required several cartloads 

 of stone to have domed one of these huts, but in no single instance has enough been found on the 

 spot suiEcient for the purpose. In nine out of twenty huts examined there were stone platforms 

 which were raised from eight inches to a foot above the floor of the hut. These platforms are not 

 common in the hut circles, for thus far they have only been observed at Broadun, Langstone Moor, 

 Shapley Common, with traces at Crapp's Ring near Post Bridge, near Ger Tor Tavy Cleave, and 

 Har Tor near Princetown. 



The floors of the huts were of the * calm ' or clay sub-soil beaten hard, with paving-stones in 

 places. On the floor in some cases was a hearth-stone and in others a fire-hole. 



The objects found in the huts were a few flint implements, a rubber stone, a few fragments 

 of rude pottery, and some ' cooking ' stones — i.e. pebble stones which were heated in a fire and 

 then placed hot in pits or pots so as to cook meat or boil water after the manner of existing 

 savage races. 



By referring to the plan of Grimspound (fig. 4) it will be observed that there are now three 

 entrances, but that labelled as such is the original entry into the pound. The other two on the east 

 and west sides are comparatively modern, and are due to a trackway leading from Headland Warren 

 in the direction of Widecombe. The original entrance is paved, and is 7 ft. wide, and the wall at 

 this point is 14 ft. thick. This paving of the entrance to Grimspound was a matter of necessity to 

 the occupants, for the gateway faces the steep slope of Hameldon, and without it the soil would 

 be speedily worked into an impassable slough by the passage of cattle into and out of the enclosure. 

 As the descent is rapid, the paving is on the slope. 



The enclosing wall of Grimspound is in a condition of sad, and, at first sight, inexplicable 

 ruin ; but the wrecked condition of the wall presents some significant and instructive features. In 

 several places two faces, one outer, the other inner, remain comparatively perfect, showing that the 

 wall originally did not consist of a congeries of stones piled together at random, but was composed, 

 like the hut walls, of stones some set on edge and others laid in courses. 



Twenty-five yards north of the western exit of the track which runs through the pound the 

 wall has both faces perfect. The width is here 9 ft. from face to face. The outer face is still 

 4^ ft. high, the inner i^- ft. A little further on the wall is 10 ft. thick. The wall by hut No. vii is 

 9^ ft. thick. The inner face is there 4 ft, 4 in. high. From this examination, and the condition of 

 the walls, it is difficult to account for the height of the wall being originally more than 5 ft. It 

 seems absurd that a wall of huge stones 10 ft. thick should be only 5 ft. high ; but if the wall was 

 solid, and of this width, it is clear that there were not enough stones to account for even this height, 

 and as there are no newtake walls near, it is certain that there has been no pillaging of stone to 

 provide for their construction. The complete state of ruin of the wall is quite inexplicable if it was 

 constructed solid. 



It is observable that very generally the wall faces have collapsed towards each other, and that 

 between them are to be found either large slabs tilted inwards or else confused masses of small stones. 

 On a scrutiny of the wall on the NW. side, it was made abundantly clear that here there had been 

 a double wall with a space between. Each wall is 3 ft, wide at the top and about 3 ft. 6 in, 

 at the bottom. The space between them is about 3 ft. wide at the bottom and 3 ft, 6 in, at the 



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