See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

The remains of a deserted medieval settlement and field system situated on a west facing slope within Merrivale Newtake overlooking the valley of the River Walkham. The settlement includes two long houses, an outbuilding and farmyard. The western longhouse survives as a rectangular two roomed building terraced into the hillslope. Boundary walls lead from the north eastern, north western and south western corners of the building which lies in the northern part of a 24 metre long by 23 metre wide farmyard defined by a single faced rubble wall standing up to 0.8 metres high. On the southern side of the farmyard is a single roomed outbuilding. The second longhouse lies 40 metres to the east and survives as a rectangular building terraced into the hillside. The field system associated with this settlement lies to the south and includes at least six fields together with a funnel shaped earthwork and several clearance cairns. The fields are rectangular in shape. The funnel shaped earthwork appears to have been designed to guide animals from the open moor through a connecting passage to the river. Scheduled.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016148: A prehistoric and historic archaeological landscape within Merrivale Newtake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NE22
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439635
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/9
• Old SAM County Ref: 789
• Old SAM Ref: 28788(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Early Medieval to XVI - 1066 AD (Between) to 1540 AD (Between))
• FARMSTEAD (Early Medieval to XVI - 1066 AD (Between) to 1540 AD (Between))

Full description

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

'Hut Enclosure' shown on 19th century map with three buildings and a D-shaped enclosure.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 3175 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1978, SX57NE22, SX57NE22 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV253932.

Visited on 11th July 1950. Enclosure walls composed of partly turf covered stones. No hut circle is contained. The enclosure has been utilised for the erection of two modern rectangular buildings.
Visited on 21st October 1978. At SX 55297619 at 330.0 metres OD just above the east bank of the Walkham river are two ruined buildings which possibly utilize an early enclosure. The enclosure walling is up to 0.8 metres wide and 0.3 metres high enclosing an area 30.0 metres by 25.0 metres. The northernmost ruin is probably the remains of a longhouse measuring approximately 19.5 metres by 6.0 metres overall, and having a sub-division at the east end, the partly turf-covered walls up to 0.5 metres high.
The other ruined building measures approximately 9.0 metres by 5.5 metres overall. About 30.0 metres to the east are the fragmentary remains of another building 10.0 metres by 3.0 metres, both with similar walling to the Longhouse. The remains are probably those of a Medieval farmstead.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/F64/58/6399, 0042-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV255307.

Photograph taken on 2nd July 1964.

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, 124, fig.50a. Table 2. (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

No. 82. Merrivale Warren. Two buildings with enclosures.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 79, plan (Un-published). SDV150434.

(17/02/1967) A cross passage longhouse with upper room, croft and detached smaller house. Some suggestion of a further enclosure west of the house.

Royal Air Force, 1968, F42/58/8609, 0424 (Aerial Photograph). SDV221584.

Photograph taken on 25th May 1961.

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

Recorded.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 143920 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Visited on 6th November 1994. At SX55307619. This longhouse, outbuilding and farmyard form part of a deserted Medieval settlement. The longhouse survives as a rectangular two-roomed building terraced into the hillslope. The lower room is the largest and measures 10 metres by 3.4 metres internally, and is defined by a 1.4 metres wide drystone rubble wall standing up to 1 metre high. Opposed entrances survive as well defined gaps midway along the long axis of this room. Two edge set stones on the east side of the southern doorway may represent the remnants of a porch. The upper room measures 4.7 metres by 3.4 metres internally and is separated from the other by a partition. A doorway leading between the rooms survives as a gap at the northern end of the partition. A ditch leading around the outer edge of the upper half of the building represents a drainage gully which was probably cut when the longhouse was constructed. Boundary walls lead from the north-east, north-west and south-west corners of the building which lies in the north part of a 24 metres long 23 metres farmyard defined by a single faced rubble wall standing up to 0.8 metres high.
On the south side of the farmyard is a single roomed outbuilding with a north-facing doorway. The interior of this structure measures 6.1 metres by 3.3 metres. A band of rushes around the outer edge of the upper half of the building may represent a drainage gully which now survives as a buried feature. A gap in the farmyard wall immediately east of this outbuilding may represent an original entrance.
This settlement lies within a contemporary field system which survives largely to the south and east. A second long house forming part of this settlement lies 40 metres to the east.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 79-80, Map 30, Figure 30.9.4 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Settlement to the south of the Middle Blowing House along the Walkham. Includes the foundations of a longhouse of 15 metres by 3.5 metres in a D-shaped enclosure with a small rectangular building in the south-west corner.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Environment Agency WMS, 2020, Environment Agency LIDAR Composite DTM 2020 - 1m (Cartographic). SDV364513.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1016148 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

The western longhouse survives as a rectangular two roomed building terraced into the hillslope. Boundary walls lead from the north eastern, north western and south western corners of the building which lies in the northern part of a 24 metres long by 23 metres wide farmyard defined by a single faced rubble wall standing up to 0.8 metres high. On the southern side of the farmyard is a single roomed outbuilding with a north facing doorway. A gap in the farmyard wall immediately east of this outbuilding may represent an original entrance.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.