kids encyclopedia robot

Shovel Down facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Shovel Down
Shovel Down Stone Row - geograph.org.uk - 1513000.jpg
Stone row on Shovel Down looking towards the Fourfold Circle
Shovel Down is located in Devon
Shovel Down
Location in Devon
Location Devon
Coordinates 50°39′25″N 3°54′14″W / 50.657°N 3.904°W / 50.657; -3.904
Type Stone rows, stone circle, standing stones
History
Periods Bronze Age

Shovel Down is an area of Dartmoor in Devon that is covered in megaliths including the remains of several stone rows, the Fourfold Stone Circle, and several standing stones.

Stone rows

The Shovel Down stone row complex occupies the northern and southern slopes of a broad east-west ridge of unenclosed moorland. It is of probable Bronze Age date. Approximately five double stone rows and one single stone row are to be seen. Other probable Bronze Age monuments are in the immediate area, including the Fourfold Circle, the Long Stone, the Three Boy's Stone, and several cairns.

Fourfold Circle

The Fourfold Circle is a configuration of four concentric stone circles. The outer circle has a diameter of 9 m, the others have diameters of 6.4 m, 4.7 m and 2.4 m respectively. The Fourfold Circle is the location of a turf-covered cairn with a central cist which has been robbed.

The Long Stone

The Long Stone - geograph.org.uk - 1711018
The Long Stone

The Long Stone stands in the middle of two stone rows. It is referred to as the "Langstone" in a documentary source of 1240. It now marks the boundary of three parishes.

Three Boys standing stone

The Three Boys standing stone is a stone marking the southern end of one of the stone rows. It is the only survivor of three such stones known as the Three Boys. The two other stones are believed to have been taken for use as gateposts.

kids search engine
Shovel Down Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.