Yellowmead Down
Encyclopedia
Yellowmead Down near Sheepstor
in Devon
, England, is a Bronze Age
concentric stone circle consisting of four rings of stones set within one another. The largest is 20m wide and the smallest, 6m.
They once encircled a burial cairn
although this is now barely visible. To the south west, several possible stone row
s lead away, crossed by a post-medieval leat
that once served a nearby tin
works.
The site was excavated and restored by Rev. H Breton in 1921. In 2008 geophysical surveys and a small excavation were carried out to determine whether the restoration of 1921 had been performed accurately (it had), and to discover whether additional features remain buried in the peat. Fallen stones were found in line with some of the stone rows, suggesting that further features may lie downslope below the leat.
Sheepstor
Sheepstor is a village and civil parish on the western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. In 2001 its population was 53, down from 95 in 1901. For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of Meavy and Walkhampton to form Burrator Parish Council, and for...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England, is a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
concentric stone circle consisting of four rings of stones set within one another. The largest is 20m wide and the smallest, 6m.
They once encircled a burial cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
although this is now barely visible. To the south west, several possible stone row
Stone row
A stone row , is a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones set at intervals along a common axis or series of axes, usually dating from the later Neolithic or Bronze Age. Rows may be individual or grouped, and three or more stones aligned can constitute a stone row...
s lead away, crossed by a post-medieval leat
Leat
A leat is the name, common in the south and west of England and in Wales, for an artificial watercourse or aqueduct dug into the ground, especially one supplying water to a watermill or its mill pond...
that once served a nearby tin
Dartmoor tin-mining
The Dartmoor tin mining industry is thought to have originated in pre-Roman times, and continued right through to the 20th century. From the 12th century onwards tin mining was regulated by a Stannary Parliament which had its own laws....
works.
The site was excavated and restored by Rev. H Breton in 1921. In 2008 geophysical surveys and a small excavation were carried out to determine whether the restoration of 1921 had been performed accurately (it had), and to discover whether additional features remain buried in the peat. Fallen stones were found in line with some of the stone rows, suggesting that further features may lie downslope below the leat.