Discovering prehistoric Dartmoor

Dartmoor’s dramatic landscape has not always looked as it does today. 

Over thousands of years, the area has undergone significant changes, shaped by both natural forces and human activity. 

To understand Dartmoor’s transformation, we must look back to its prehistoric past, when it was a densely wooded region that slowly evolved into the open moorland we see now.

Around 280 million years ago, Dartmoor was formed from cooling magma, creating the granite that characterises the region.

By the end of the last Ice Age, around 10,000 BC, Dartmoor was covered with dense forests. Small groups of Mesolithic hunters lived in this wooded environment, relying on the abundant wildlife and plant resources.

As the Neolithic period began around 4000 BC, significant changes started to occur. 

Early farmers began clearing parts of Dartmoor’s forests to create fields for agriculture. 

They built communal tombs, such as Spinsters’ Rock, which mark the beginnings of a more organised and settled way of life. 

This period saw the introduction of farming and more permanent settlements.

By around 2300 BC, during the Bronze Age, Dartmoor was increasingly shaped by human activity.

The once wooded landscape was transformed into a mosaic of farmland and open moorland. 

The people of this era built a range of remarkable structures that offer insight into their lives and rituals.

Grimspound is one of the most significant Bronze Age sites on Dartmoor. 

This large settlement features 24 stone houses enclosed by a massive boundary wall, providing evidence of a well-organised community.

The settlement’s layout suggests that the inhabitants engaged in farming and lived in a socially structured environment.

Merrivale is another key site, renowned for its complex of stone circles and rows. 

These ceremonial structures are part of a broader ritual landscape that reflects the importance of communal and spiritual practices. 

The stone rows and circles likely served both as markers of territory and as sites for rituals and gatherings.

The Upper Plym Valley encompasses around 300 Bronze Age and medieval sites spread over 15 square kilometers. 

This extensive area reveals a dense network of settlements, field systems, and ceremonial sites. 

The remains indicate a highly developed and organised society that utilised the landscape in various ways.

The expansion of agriculture and deforestation during the Bronze Age had significant environmental impacts. 

The removal of trees and the cultivation of land led to soil degradation. 

By around 1000 BC, the upland soils became waterlogged and covered by peat, which made year-round farming increasingly difficult. 

As a result, many of the settlements and fields were abandoned.

The landscape gradually returned to a more natural state, with Dartmoor becoming a summer grazing area for livestock. 

This transition marked the end of the extensive agricultural activity that had once shaped the region.

Today, Dartmoor’s prehistoric sites offer a fascinating window into the lives of its ancient inhabitants. 

The well-preserved remains of settlements, ceremonial structures, and field systems provide valuable insights into how people adapted to and transformed their environment over millennia. 

Visiting sites like Grimspound, Merrivale, and the Upper Plym Valley allows visitors to connect with a distant past and appreciate the rich archaeological heritage of this iconic landscape.

Accreditation to Dartmoor National Park and English Heritage websites for the information.