Dartmoor National Park Authority

Current Projects

Microchipping
This ongoing project was initiated as a response to the increasing threat of theft of Dartmoor’s granite artefacts. Dartmoor has hundreds of these features which include medieval wayside crosses, milestones, farm troughs, route markers and straddle stones. Many of them, particularly the crosses and milestones are protected by law as scheduled ancient monuments or as listed structures. The project has identified the most vulnerable of these features and has started tagging each with a small microchip. The microchip has a unique identification number that can be read by a special scanner. The microchip will act as a deterrent to theft and aid the recovery of those features that might be stolen.

Dartmoor Leats
Over the past few years a group of volunteers from the Dartmoor Trust have been surveying flowing leats on Dartmoor.  Currently, Dartmoor National Park Authority and the Dartmoor Trust are working in partnership to repair damaged leats to ensure that they continue to carry water.

In addition complete archaeological field surveys have been completed by the Authority of five of Dartmoor’s major leats. These have provided a record of the leats, their history and construction and associated historic features along its route.

Cairn Restoration
At present a programme of prehistoric burial cairn restoration has just been completed. This relies heavily on volunteer help provided by members of the Dartmoor Preservation Association (external site, opens new window). Numerous Bronze Age burial cairns have been damaged by visitors rearranging the stone material to form mounds, shelters and hollows.  Following survey the restoration works involved the dismantling and infilling of areas of modern disturbance in order to protect buried archaeological deposits that may survive within the cairns.

Bellever Excavations

 From 2007-2009, excavations have been taking place at a prehistoric round house in the Bellever plantation near Postbridge.  The excavations were initiated following extensive damage to the woodland in high winds.  The excavations revealed prehistoric floor levels, a possible hearth, a ring of nine post holes (which would have held timbers supporting the roof) and evidence for a wattle leaning on the inside of the drystone wall.  Pottery from one site suggested occupation between c1500 and 1150BC.  Sometime after, one house was abandoned.  A small cairn was constructed on top of the remains.

Page updated 7 December 2009