Scheduled Monuments›England›Spinster's Rock

Spinster's Rock

England
List entry 1003177
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1003177
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0 hectares
Grid reference
SX 70091 90778
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Spinster's Rock is a Neolithic dolmen or portal tomb located near Drewsteignton in Devon, England. The monument consists of three upright stone slabs supporting a large capstone, characteristic of megalithic burial structures dating to the Neolithic period, approximately 3500 to 2500 BCE. The site represents an important example of Portal tomb architecture in the Southwest of England, a burial tradition associated with early farming communities. The monument has been subject to restoration work in the nineteenth century, including the realignment of displaced stones.

Spinster's Rock is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1003177. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Spinster's Rock?

Spinster's Rock is a Neolithic dolmen or portal tomb located near Drewsteignton in Devon, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1003177.

Who is responsible for protecting Spinster's Rock?

Spinster's Rock is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1003177.

What other scheduled monuments are near Spinster's Rock?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tor cairn 50m north east of Hookney Tor (9.5 km), Enclosed prehistoric settlement 150m south east of Hookney Tor (9.6 km), Cairn and cist 430m north east of Grimspound (9.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Spinster's Rock

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Spinster's Rock's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Tor cairn 50m north east of Hookney Tor
9.5 km
Enclosed prehistoric settlement 150m south east of Hookney Tor
9.6 km
Cairn and cist 430m north east of Grimspound
9.6 km
Three Headland Warren boundary stones, 350m, 330m and 400m south east of Headland Warren Farm
9.8 km
Partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement 900m and 940m north west of Warren House Inn
9.9 km
Three stone hut circles 300m south east of Headland Warren Farm
9.9 km
Two cairns on the summit of Water Hill 450m north west of Warren House Inn
9.9 km
Grimspound, a partially enclosed prehistoric settlement with field system and two post-medieval caches between Hookney Tor and Hameldown Tor
9.9 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Spinster's Rock

Spinster's Rock stands on Holsworthy Group, bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Spinster's Rock

ExeterRoman town · ~13.6 miles
Domesday entry for Shilstone, Devon →
All Scheduled Monuments