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Summary

Remains of the farmhouse terraced into the hillslope, surviving as a 2-roomed rectangular building defined by a 0.7 metre wide drystone wall standing up to 2.6 metres high. Possibly originally a medieval long house.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1009084: Large stone hut circle settlement, an irregular aggregate field system, post-medieval farmstead and associated remains east of Raddick Lane

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/131/1/1
• Old SAM Ref: 22380

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (Built, Early Medieval to XVII - 1066 AD to 1668 AD)

Full description

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

Roundepark shown on mid 19th century Tithe Map as a group of buildings and small enclosures. The Apportionment lists '985' as 'Houses and Court' and '986' as 'Gardens'.

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

'Roundy Farm (Ruin)' shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Roundy Farm' shown on early 20th century map.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 100 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Linehan, C. D., 1965, Deserted Sites on Dartmoor, Devon, 175 (Article in Serial). SDV217992.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 111 (Un-published). SDV150434.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX57SE68 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV240099.

Worth, R. H., 1981, Dartmoor, 153 (Monograph). SDV231173.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133202, 04/05/1993 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

The farmhouse is terraced into the hillslope and survives as a two-roomed rectangular building defined by a 0.7m wide drystone wall standing up to 2.6m high. The upper room measures 5.1m by 3.9m and is separated by a rubble partition wall from the lower room which is 3.9m long and 3.3m wide. Opposed doorways in the long walls of the building are visible within the lower room, although the east facing example is now blocked. This doorway gave access to a small structure which had been excavated into the hillside and now survives as a 0.7m deep drystone lined pit with interior dimensions of 2.44m by 1.37m. According to Haynes (1966) this structure may represent the site of a stairwell. The west facing doorway leads onto a stone revetted passage giving access to the farmyard. This passage would have provided cover against the prevailing westerly winds. It has been suggested that this building was originally a Medieval longhouse. The surviving field evidence, including the opposed entrances, shape and orientation of the building relative to the prevailing slope, would certainly seem to support this identification, although much of the standing fabric may date to the later part of the 17th century. Evidence to support this suggestion is provided by the door lintel stone which bears the letters RC and the date 1668. This stone can no longer be seen at the farm and according to Worth it was removed to Burrator. Crossing considers that the initials RC are those of Richard Crymes, whose family were long seated at Crapstone, in Buckland Monarchorum, and to which the manor was granted at the dissolution.
A barn or shippon is attached to the lower side of the farmhouse and survives as a single roomed rectangular building defined by drystone walling standing up to 1.3m high. The interior of this structure measures 7.62m by 3.05m, doorway faces west and leads directly into the farmyard.

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

Ruined building visible on the aerial photography.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-120 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 06/01/2020. Overall condition moderate. Photo x2 taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-120 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo 1: View of farmhouse looking 170° showing grass/moss and bracken cover with outcrops of reeds. Photo 2: View of shippon looking 310° showing grass/moss and bracken cover with outcrops of reeds.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1009084 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

Roundy farmstead is situated in the eastern part of the monument and lies within a large sub-circular enclosure. The farmhouse is terraced into the hillslope and survives as a two roomed rectangular building defined by a 0.7 metres wide drystone wall standing up to 2.6 metres high. The upper room measures 5.1 metres long by 3.9 metres wide and is separated by a rubble partition wall from the lower room which is 3.9 metres long and 3.3 metres wide. Opposed doorways in the long walls of the building are visible within the lower room, although the east-facing example is now blocked. This doorway gave access to a small structure which had been excavated into the hillside and now survives as a 0.7 metres deep drystone lined pit with interior dimensions of 2.44 metres long by 1.37 metre wide. This structure has been identified as the base of a stairwell. The west-facing doorway leads onto a stone revetted passage giving access to the farmyard. This passage would have provided cover against the prevailing westerly winds. It has been suggested that this building was originally a medieval long house, and the surviving evidence including the opposed entrances, shape and orientation of the building relative to the prevailing slope, would certainly support this identification. Much of the standing fabric, however, probably dates to the later part of the 17th century, and evidence to support this assertion is provided by the door lintel stone which bears the letters RC and the date 1668. This stone can no longer be seen at the farm as it was subsequently removed to Burrator. It has been suggested also that the initials RC are those of Richard Crymes, whose family were long seated at Crapstone, in Buckland Monachorum, and to which the manor was granted at the Dissolution. A barn or shippon is attached to the lower side of the farmhouse and survives as a single roomed rectangular building defined by drystone walling, standing up to 1.3 metres high. The interior of this structure measures 7.62 metres long by 3.05 metres wide, the doorway faces west and leads directly into the farmyard. A short distance east of this barn is a rectangular stone lined hollow, which measures 8.8 metres long by 2.2 metres wide and up to 1.5 metres deep at the northern end. This structure is open at its southern end, where it meets the hollow way leading towards the farmstead. This feature is probably a root crop storage facility, similar to the hulls found at most farms in the vicinity, except that this one is only partially subterranean. The hollow way leading to the farmstead is 2.6 metres wide and 1 metre deep. It is defined on the northern side by a drystone revetment and on the south by a 1.2 metres wide and 0.7 metres high drystone wall. The eastern end of the hollow way is blocked by a 0.9 metres wide and 1 metre high drystone wall. Two garden areas have been identified within the farmstead. The first lies immediately west of the farmhouse, is irregular in shape and has maximum dimensions of 11.9 metres long by 8.54 metres wide. The second garden lies east of the barn and measures 11.28 metres long by 8.54 metres wide. In recent years small temporary stone shelters have been constructed within this garden. A third garden belonging to the farm lies 70 metres north-north-west of the farmstead and was constructed within an abandoned stone hut circle, whose walls were heightened to provide additional protection against the wind. Immediately west of the farmyard is a small open sided rectangular structure, with internal dimensions of 2.1 metres long by 1.37m wide, defined by a drystone wall standing up to 1m high. This may be an outside lavatory or dog kennel. A short distance west, lies a rectangular building composed of large granite boulders. The walls measure 1 metre wide and up to 1.1 metres high and clearly denote a two roomed structure with substantial openings in both short sides. The eastern room measures 7.32 metres long by 2.44 metres wide and the western one is 5.79 metres long by 2.44 metres wide. The precise function of this building is not known, but it may have provided additional storage space or an undercover work area. The earliest published reference to this site is a 1609 presentment respecting the forest, which refers to this part of the moor, and speaks of `certayne howses that had been erected here and of land that had been enclosed.' The date at which this site was abandoned is not known with certainty, though the Tithe Apportionment Map of 1839 shows the buildings still to be roofed, although by the early 20th century, when Crossing was visiting the area, the site was deserted.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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