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Summary

This monument includes a Medieval long house, outbuilding and associated farmyard situated on the lower south-south-east facing slope of White Hill overlooking the valley of the Willsworthy Brook. The long house survives as a rectangular two roomed building terraced into the hillslope. The outbuilding lies 2.5 metres north-east of the long house and includes a single roomed rectangular building, terraced into the slope.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1007665: Deserted medieval settlement 750m south of White Hill summit
• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a deserted farmstead and associated field system 750 metres south of White Hill summit

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58SW28
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440736
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SW/68
• Old SAM Ref: 22354 (PART)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2082, 3490 (Aerial Photograph). SDV295065.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 4291 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Royal Air Force, 1961, 58/4424, F44.138 (Aerial Photograph). SDV280247.

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, 113-144 (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

A deserted household of two buildings and enclosures at White Hill.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 150, 29/4/1968 (Un-published). SDV150434.

The turfed over remains of two cross passage longhouses, side by side, built of the small local metamorphic rock. Lies within a field system of very slight walls.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX58SW28 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV235911.

(22/8/1979) A deserted farmstead at SX 53358310 consists of two buildings, both cut back to a depth of 0.5m into a slight northwest slope, and with their axes at right angles to the contours.
The larger building is of long-house type 18.8m long and 4.7m wide with a cross passage and a subdivision or annex at the northwest end.
To the northeast is a possible barn, 10.0m long and 4.2m wide, with a single entrance on the southwest side. Both buildings are of drystone rubble construction, the walls now tumbled and turf covered to form banks 0.6m to 0.9m high, and 2.0m to 3.0m wide overall. A garden plot or yard adjoins the southeast end of the structures.
The plan follows the Medieval tradition and could be of this period or later but almost certainly pre-1800 in date.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and 1:500.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Complex visible on aerial photographs attached on north-east and south-west sides to north-east by south-west field boundaries.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130990, (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

See details on the buildings records.

Probert, S. + Fletcher, M. + Newman, P., 1998, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon: An Archaeological survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (Report - Survey). SDV350638.

(01/08/1998) The remains of this farmstead are as described by the previous authority; they are now covered by a dense concentration of mature gorse.
The dating of this site poses a problem. Though, as stated above, it has a medieval layout it cannot be associated with a field system of similar date. It is, however, in close association with the sub-divisions within Hamlyn's Newtake (SX 58 SW 83) which is of 18th or early 19th century origin. It is possible that these structures and the rectangular building to the N (SX 58 SW 47) are the predecessors of Redford Farm and were established during the initial setting out of the newtake.

Bluesky, 2006 - 2007, Bluesky aerial photographs 2006 - 2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV341189.

Visible on the aerial photography.

Greeves, T., 2007, Reddaford Farm, Willsworthy: An Archaeological and Historical Survey, 33-34 (Report - Survey). SDV360294.

Settlement 400 metres south-west of Reddaford on the west side of Willsworthy Brook. The settlement consists of a longhouse and ancillary building with a yard and the remains of a field system which respects the newtake boundary. It may have been abandoned by the 14th century.

White, P., 2013, Previously Unsurveyed Dartmoor Historic Farmsteads (Un-published). SDV352501.

Included on list. No further information provided.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 22/04/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

This monument includes a medieval long house, outbuilding and associated farmyard situated on the lower SSE-facing slope of White Hill overlooking the valley of the Willsworthy Brook. The long house survives as a rectangular two roomed building terraced into the hillslope. The lower room is the largest and measures 15m long by 4.3m wide internally, and is defined by a 1.4m wide drystone rubble wall standing up to 0.8m high. Opposed entrances survive as well defined gaps midway along the long-axis of this room. In the area immediately upslope of the cross-passage defined by the entrances is a small pit which suggests either partial early excavation, robbing or later reuse of the structure. In the area immediately downslope from the long house a shallow drainage ditch measuring 1.5m wide and up to 0.2m deep leads away from the building. The upper room represents a later addition to the building and measures 4m square internally. The outbuilding lies 2.5m north east of the long house and includes a single roomed rectangular building, terraced into the slope. The interior of this building measures 9.2m long by 3.8m wide and is defined by a rubble wall standing up to 1.5m wide and 0.9m high. Both buildings are linked to each other by a short length of drystone wall measuring 1m wide and standing up to 0.2m high. This wall forms the north western edge of a small farmyard which measures 15m north east to south west by 11.5m north west to south east and is defined by a lyncheted boundary bank measuring 1.2m wide and standing up to 0.8m high. This settlement lies within a contemporary field system which survives as three separate boundaries. The first leads south west for a short distance from the settlement and the remaining two survive as incomplete lengths of bank to the north east and south west respectively. All these boundaries have been damaged by post-medieval fields, military and mining activity. In addition, further lengths have been buried below peat accumulation and consequently not enough remains to allow an accurate assessment of the character and extent of the field system associated with this settlement. The field system is therefore not included within this scheduling.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7368 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy (1998)
• EDV6663 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6664 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6665 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8141 - Condition survey of the Willsworthy Training Area

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