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Summary

This longhouse originally included a byre or shippon with a central drain at its lower end, for housing animals, as well as living area with hearth at the upper end of the building, subdivided by opposing central entrances, but was later converted for use as a barn, with one door and the drain being blocked up. A lean-to was also added to the northern end.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016255: Prehistoric and medieval settlements and their field systems at Hound Tor

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NW/7/9
• Old SAM County Ref: 601
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 28786

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LONGHOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Beresford, G., 1979, Three Deserted Medieval Settlements on Dartmoor: a Report on the Late E. Marie Minter's Excavations, 132-133 (Article in Serial). SDV307264.

Building 8 began as a traditional long house, with upper living area and lower byre with central drain but was converted to a barn at a later date, when the drain and the north-western door were blocked up. The byre floor was lowered to the bottom level of the drain and a pentice, or lean-to was added to the lower end of the building. The blocked drain, which is only visible from the pentice, is the only evidence that the building originally contained a byre. These alterations suggest that as the settlement was gradually deserted, abandoned houses were converted for alternate usage.

Newman, P. + Probert, S. + Riley, H., 1994, Houndtor Down, Manaton, Devon - A New Survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England., 5 (Report - Survey). SDV344628.

Large longhouse measuring 12.3 meters by 4 meters internally, with a pentice, or lean-to, situated on its northern end. One entrance remains on the eastern wall, although an original opposing entrance on the western wall was noted by Beresford (1979, 132). The longhouse is located centrally in the settlement, between the ‘manor’ structures to the east and longhouse 1 to the south-west, the byre drainage of which it appears to have blocked. It also blocks one of the main pathways through the settlement and is considered to be a possible later addition.

Dartmoor National Park + English Heritage, 2002, Houndtor: Deserted Medieval Settlement, 7-11 (Leaflet). SDV295904.

A large longhouse aligned south-west to north-east with a central opening in the east wall. The coursed stone rubble longhouse measures approximately 13 meters by 5 meters and is located in the centre of the settlement. The building has a small lean-to at the northern end, possibly for storing hay or straw and probably would have been a single storey structure under a thatched roof. The house later became a barn. The building is likely to have been a single storey thatched structure.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Various, 2018-2019, PALs Condition Recording forms, HT7 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 30/06/2019. Evidence of bramble, blueberry, gorse, foxglove and hawthorn. Overall good condition. Photos X 2 taken

Various, 2018-2019, PALs Condition Recording photographs, HT7 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 30/06/2019. Photos X 2 taken 1) North to south showing the main building 2) east to west showing the annex / lean to

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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