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Summary

Remains of a longhouse in Clasiwell Enclosures, 180 metres north-east of 'Clasiwell', or 'Crazy Well' Farm and 270 metres south of Crazy Well Pool.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019585: Post-medieval building at Crazy Well Farm, 300m south of Crazy Well Pool

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE186
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1343106
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/199

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LONGHOUSE (Built, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Depicted on the late 19th century historic map, 180 metres north-east of 'Crazy Well' Farm, within a roughly diamond shaped enclosure.
Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Outline of the longhouse depicted on the late 19th century historic map. Map object based on this source.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 19 plan (Un-published). SDV150434.

Longhouse in Clasiwell Enclosures. SX587702. Two roomed longhouse built against the steep slope of the hill on the northern boundary of Clasiwell Farm. Has a fairly level meadow before it. Attached to the boundary wall by two short walls making a small steep enclosure. Entrance from the north-west by a steep narrow lane now filled in and blocked. Could possibly have been the original dwelling, later superseded by Clasiwell Farmhouse.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force 1946 aerial photographs.

Gerrard, S., 2000, Post Medieval building 300 metres south of Crazy Well Pool (Report - Survey). SDV351072.

(Visited 25/2/2000) Post Medieval building 300 metres south of Crazy Well Pool. 7.2 metres by 3.6 metres. Drystone wall 0.7 metres wide, 1.4 metres high. A single roomed dwelling cut into the foot of a steep slope.
An open ended outshut is attached to the west side of the building and this is 4 metres long by 2.6 metres wide and is denoted by 1.4 metre high drystone revetment is filled with loose rubble. A narrow revetted passage leads from the corn ditch boundary to this building. This drystone revetment is up 1.2 metres high. Bracken, grass, rushes and gorse around its north and western edges. The interior of the dwelling [nb: Gerrard's text is truncated here]

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA123 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA123.

Newman, P., 2007, Cramber Tor Training Area Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV348210.

(01/08/2006) A rectangular building, constructed from moorstone, located just inside an enclosure wall on the moderately sloping ground, 200m north-east of Crazy Well Farm. The building has been terraced into the slope, the back north wall acting as a revetment. The internal dimensions are 8m by 3.4m and walls stand to a maximum height of 1.2m. The walls are approximately 0.8m thick although very ruinous and the interior of the building is filled with tumble. A smaller outer compartment on the west end measures 3m by 3.4m. The site is badly affected by bracken in the summer months.

Probert, S., 2008, Follow-Up Works to Cramber Tor Archaeological Baseline Condition Survey, Dartmoor Training Area (Report - Survey). SDV351304.

Greeves, T., 2012, Cramber Tor Training Area. Monument Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350251.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

The post-medieval building at Crazy Well Farm, 300m south of Crazy Well Pool survives well and will contain information concerning the relationship between this dwelling and the nearby Crazy Well Farmstead as well as land use in this area during the post-medieval period. Settlements of this type are common in Cornwall, but are much rarer on Dartmoor, although examples do exist in the vicinity of some tinworks. As a group of monuments they represent one of the few sources of archaeological information concerning the relationship between tinworking and agriculture.
The monument includes a single roomed dwelling cut into the foot of a steep south facing slope overlooking Newleycombe Lake. The dwelling includes a rectangular room measuring 7.2m long by 3.6m wide defined by a 0.7m wide drystone wall standing up to 1.4m high. The interior is filled with loose rubble and the entrance is in the western part of the southern wall. An open ended outshut is attached to the western side of the dwelling. This measures 4m long by 2.6m wide and is denoted by a 1.4m high drystone revetment around its northern and western edges. A narrow revetted passage leading through the nearby corn ditch boundary to this building represents access to the moor and road network. The corn ditch denotes the outer edge of Crazy Well Farm and includes an inner bank measuring 2.5m wide by 1.4m high, which is revetted by drystone walling on its outer face. The ditch from which material was quarried to build the bank lies adjacent to the wall and measures 2m wide by 0.8m deep. This corn ditch would have prevented livestock from the open moor straying onto the enclosed farmland. The building is certainly of historic date and was undoubtedly occupied in the 19th century. It may have medieval origins, but most likely represents an 18th century small scale colonization of the Moor by a part time tinner.
Date: 2001

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

Clasiwell enclosures the site of a longhouse.

Probert, S. A. J., 2017, A Condition Survey of the Archaeological Sites of the Cramber Tor Training Area, Devon, 2017 (Report - Survey). SDV360392.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-118 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 03/01/2020. Overall condition moderate. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-118 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 080° showing grass and bracken cover with one gorse outcrop at NW corner and reeds along the N wall.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6034 - Monument Condition Survey in Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6152 - Follow-up Works to Threatened Sites in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6153 - Monument Baseline Condition Survey in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8711 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area

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