Grimspound, Devon

Grimspound is a late Bronze Age settlement, probably first settled about 1300 BC. consisting of a set of 24 hut circles surrounded by a low stone wall. The name was first recorded by the Reverend Richard Polwhele in 1797, it was probably derived from the Anglo Saxon god of war, Grim.

The site is enclosed by a stone wall, interrupted by a large, paved entrance facing south. The wall would have been substantial - in some places its ruins are more than 15 feet in thickness. However, the site is of limited value from a defensive point of view, so it is likely this was used to keep livestock in, and predators out.

24 stone hut circles have been recorded, but there are probably more within the enclosure of over four acres. Many of these hut circles feature L-shaped porches. The doorways are paved with naturally flat stones, and all face both downhill and away from the prevailing wind.

The 1894 excavation reported that the huts nearest the entrance were devoid of signs of human habitation, and were therefore used for livestock or storage

The huts range between 2.7 and 4.5 metres in diameter, with walls about 1 metre thick, made of upright granite slabs packed with an infill of rubble and possibly peat.

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Admission is free.

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Telephone: 0870 333 1181

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