A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
August 3, 2024
Butterdon Hill (Harford)
Butterdon Hill on Harford Moor has some magnificent views from its summit, upon which there are numerous interesting artefacts. These artefacts include several Bronze Age cairns, a ruined building and enclosure, a triangulation pillar and an boundary marker of unknown origin. To add to this, when visiting this lovely spot, it is likely that other boundary markers would have been encountered (south from Western Beacon or north between Main Head and Hangershell Rock), which signify the boundary of the two parishes of Harford and Ugborough.
There are two historical records from around the time of the Napoleonic Wars (from 1804 and circa 1814) detailing a Fire Beacon on Butterdon Hill and the presence of the ruinous building and enclosure has been identified as being possibly associated with this Fire Beacon. That said, other observers believe the building and enclosure are more likely to be associated with transhumance. Of course, it is possible that the building was associated with the Fire Beacon and the enclosure with transhumance. It is probable that the foundations and tumbled walls of these artefacts have been constructed out of the stones from the summit cairn
Bibliography
H. Riley – 2021- Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Landscape, Harford and Ugborough
L.Bray – 2017- Foundations on the summit of Butterdon Hill,
C.F Hankin ; 1977-1980 ; Harford Parish Checklist
J. Butler – 1993 – Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four – The South-East
Sketch map of the artefacts on the summit of Butterdon Hill covered in this post. To provide scale, the ‘Boundary Stone’ to the south west is approx 60m from the summit cairn Approaching Butterdon Hill summit cairn, triangulation pillar, ruined building and enclosure from the southThis extract from a late 19th century map shows the Summit of Butterdon Hill being labelled as ‘Mound of Stones’ and ‘Tumulus’. The annotated numbers are from the author indicating a sequence of the (circa 87) boundary points between the parishes of Harford and Ugborough as detailed here: https://dartmoorexplorations.co.uk/harford-ugborough-parish-boundary-markers/The Triangulation Pillar was constructed around 1948. These Ordnance Survey pillars were constructed across the UK between 1935 and 1962, being used to survey heights and to improve the accuracy of the locations where they were sited. This pillar, like most others used a ‘flush bracket’ to aid the surveyor. Flush Brackets were first used around 1912, initially on buildings. Details of the Butterdon Hill Triangulation Pillar from the OS database. The height recorded as being 364.845 metres above sea levelClose up of the Flush Bracket, numbered OS BSM 3429Drawing of Flush Bracket showing how the surveyors would have used a detachable bracket to enable the levelling of their surveying poles.Recorded in 2017 (Bray), the building is described as comprising “……tumbled walling up to 2.0 metres wide and 0.5 metres high ….. measuring c. 12 metres long by 7.0 metres wide”The long axis of the building is orientated north-north-west to south-south-eastThe building is centred at approx SX65543 58648. It has a possible internal divisionThe rectangular enclosure 18 metres north-east to south-west on west side of building has a distinctive upright triangular stone on its north wall. The enclosure was probably associated with seasonal grazing (transhumance)The enclosure is around 9m wide and is centred at approx. SX65527 58645The best way to discern the building and enclosure is to climb the summit cairnApprox 50-60m to the west of the Harford – Ugborough parish boundary (and the summit cairn) is an upright triangular tapering granite slab which does not look natural and has been recorded (Riley – 2021) as an unknown boundary stone.The Boundary Stone is 0.9 metres high, 0.5 metres wide, 0.3 metres thick. Erme Valley can be seen beyond the stone in this pictureThe Boundary Stone is located at SX65462 5862668 views of Dartmoor were sketched by Phillip Guy Stevens at the turn of the 20th century which were used in (William) Crossing’s Guide to Dartmoor. Sketch 34 was from Butterdon Hill, looking N.E which appeared on page 394 of the guideThis picture was taken from the top of the summit cairn, looking N.E towards Ugborough Beacon, which was probably the location of PG Stevens sketch 34By cropping the photograph, the author has attempted to re-create the PG Stevens sketch 34Another sketch by Phillip Guy Stevens. This is sketch 35 from Butterdon Hill, looking N which appeared on page 395 of Crossing’s guideThis picture was taken from the top of the summit cairn, looking N towards Sharp Tor and Three Barrows, which was probably the location of PG Stevens sketch 35By cropping the photograph, the author has attempted to re-create the PG Stevens sketch 35. The peaks of Sharp Tor, Three Barrows and Eastern Whitaburrow appear to be a bit more ‘pronounced’ in the Stevens’ sketchThe views from atop Butterdon Hill are extensive. Here is a zoomed in view of Plymouth SoundLangage (Natural Gas) Power Station at Plympton in foregroundSome estates of Plymouth
