The site has been scheduled as an ancient monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, giving it a level of legal protection from alteration. Surveys have shown a marked deterioration in its condition - in 1950 Gray could identify 21 stones as part of the circle, but by 2009 the survey on behalf of Exmoor National Park Authority found only 10. Stones have also been added to the circle in recent years, and heritage managers face the question as to whether they should be removed or accepted as part of the circle's on-going biography.