View from east.
The most impressive triple stone row in Great Britain measures 146m long and includes 127 small, medium and large-sized stones situated on an east facing terrace on the lower slopes of Cosdon Hill. Unusually, the blocking stones are at the upper end and separate the row from a cairn with two cists. The row is orientated east to west and well worth the effort of getting to.
Location
| England Devon Dartmoor SX 64317 91600 Lat 50.708069 Long -3.92276 |
Map showing the location of Cosdon stone row.
Simplified plan of the Cosdon triple stone alignment. (Source: Butler, J., 1991, 205).
Characteristics
| Type: Triple | Length: 146m |
| No. of stones: 127 | Size of stones: Small, medium and large |
| Orientation: 97° | Altitude: 436m |
| Upper end: Blocking stones, cairn and cists | Lower end: – |
| Straight (Yes or No) : No | Sea View: Yes |
| Context: Prehistoric field system | |
| Notes: | |
Other Information
| Public Access: Yes |
| Land Status: National Park |
| Scheduled Ancient Monument: Yes |
Identification
Category: Plausible. No doubts have been expressed regarding the prehistoric interpretation of this row.
Typology
This stone row is of Type T12. Information on this form of stone row and other rows of this type is available here.
Photographs
Looking west along the triple row.
Looking west along the triple row.
Looking west along the triple row.
The upper (West) end of the alignment. View from east.
Looking east along the triple row. The three large stones in the foreground are blocking stones. Unusually they are at the upper end of the alignment and separate it from the cairn. Variety is an alignment characteristic.
Alignment and cairn. View from west.
Alignment cairn and cow. View from west.
The alignment is not straight and is clearly sinuous in form. View from west.
The cairn at the upper (West) end of the row.
The eastern end of the alignment does not survive as well as the western part. View from west.
The alignment has been cut by an historic holloway at this point. View from east.
View from west on 17th January 1994.
Access Information
Car parking is available at SX 65810 91500. From here head south west to Shilley Pool. Carefully cross the stream and walk north west up the steep slope for about 850m. The row is the visually most impressive triple row in Great Britain and well worth the effort of getting to.
Online Resources
Megalithic Portal Modern Antiquarian PastScape Historic Environment Record
Prehistoric Monuments of Dartmoor Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks
Other References
Burl, A., 1993, From Carnac to Callanish – The prehistoric rows and avenues of Britain, Ireland and Brittany, Yale University Press, New York and London, pg. 215.
Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities – Vol. 2 – The North, Devon Books Exeter, pgs.204-206.
Timeline
VISITED:- 1st June 2013
FIRST PUBLISHED:- 24th January 2016
LAST UPDATED:- 9th February 2021
The Stone Rows of Great Britain 