Cawsand Hill enclosures and hut circles

Historic England's scheduling record (list entry 1010790) describes ten stone hut circles and an agglomerate enclosure on a north-west-facing slope of Cawsand Hill, also known as Cosdon Hill, above the valley of the River Taw. It is part of a distinct group of settlements on the lower slopes of Cawsand and White Hill. It lies in the parish of South Tawton, about 1 km south-east of Ladybrook Tor and 2.3 km south-east of Belstone.

The enclosure has at least three separate enclosed areas. The two smaller ones are older than the larger one that joins them. The southern enclosure is irregular, bounded by a rubble bank 1.6 metres wide and 0.5 metres high around an area 40 by 32 metres. The north-eastern one is oval, 54 by 38 metres inside. The larger, later enclosure is 94 by 67 metres, with a lyncheted rubble bank and a gap in the west wall that is probably an original entrance.

Seven huts survive inside the enclosure and three more a short way south-west. Eight are circular, 3 to 5.2 metres across inside, averaging 3.91 metres, and two are oval, 5.5 by 6 metres and 4 by 5 metres. The walls are 0.4 to 0.8 metres high. Three huts have visible doorways, four are linked to the enclosure walls and three attached to the enclosure.

Sources: Historic England list entry 1010790, which cites Butler, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, vol 2 (1990), pages 201 to 203, Gibson, Single Monument Class Description: Stone Hut Circles (1987), the Devon County Sites and Monuments Register (SX69SW46, 1985) and fieldwork for the Monuments Protection Programme by S. Gerrard.

• Period: Bronze Age
• Status: Scheduled monument (Historic England list entry 1010790)
• Grid reference: SX 6311 9155 (approximate, from the listing's coordinates)