Yellowmead Down

Alignment leading away from the concentric stone circle. View from south (Scale 1m).

A multiple stone row, possibly of the fan-shaped type measuring 28.4m long, including 17 small and medium-sized stones arranged in at least 8 separate lines and situated on a south west facing slope. The row is orientated ENE to WSW and as five of the rows include only a single slab the original form of the row is ambiguous.  The rows lead downslope (westward) from an impressive concentric stone circle. The row stands near several cairns.

Location

England     Devon     Dartmoor     SX 57482 67842     Lat 50.49292356   Long -4.01065918

Map showing the location of Yellowmead Down stone row.

Plan of the multiple stone row (red) leading from the Yellowmead stone circles (After Worth, 1953, 189 and Butler, 1994, 75).

Characteristics

Type: Multiple Length: 28.4m
No. of stones: 17 Size of stones: Small and medium
Orientation: 70° Altitude: 283m
Upper end: Cairn Lower end: –
Straight (Yes or No)  : No Sea View: No
Context:  Cairn
Notes: Up to 9 rows. Excavation in 2008 found further stones considered to form part of the multiple row. 

Other Information

Public Access:  Yes
Land Status: National Park
Scheduled Ancient Monument: Yes

Identification

Category: Plausible. Despite its unusual form no substantiated doubts have been expressed regarding the prehistoric interpretation of this row.

Typology

This stone row is of Type M10. Information on this form of stone row and other rows of this type is available here.

Photographs

Multiple stone row leading from the Yellowmead concentric stone circle. View from west (Scale 1m).

Multiple stone row and Yellowmead concentric stone circle. View from west (Scale 1m).

Looking along the the best preserved length of the row. View from south west (Scale 1m).

Looking south west along the best preserved part of the multiple stone row (Scale 1m).

View from the north of the longest length of the multiple stone row (Scale 1m).

Concentric stone circle at the upper end of the multiple row. View from north.

Concentric stone circle at the upper end of the multiple row. View from north.

 Access Information

Car parking is available at SX 57887 67306. The row is about 750m north east of the car park across uneven and partly boggy open moorland.

Online Resources 

Megalithic Portal     Megalithic Portal     Modern Antiquarian     PastScape

Historic Environment Record     Prehistoric Monuments of Dartmoor

Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks      Legendary Dartmoor

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., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities – Vol. 3 – The South-West, Devon Books Exeter, pgs. 74-76.

Worth, R.H., 1953, Worth’s Dartmoor, David and Charles, 3rd impression (1981),  pg 189.

Timeline

VISITED:- 18th April 2013

FIRST PUBLISHED:- 24th January 2016

LAST UPDATED:- 6th August 2019