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Summary

The largest and most substantially constructed of the buildings at Hutholes; referred to as a 'manor-house' by Minter following the 1960s excavation work where she interpreted this as the final in a series of structures on the site. Rectangular in plan but with slightly curved internal corners. The overall internal dimensions are 13.2 metres by 3.8 metres with a partition wall at the west end, creating a second chamber. There is also an annex on the western exterior, 1.3 metres wide comprising a low, revetted wall. Re-excavated in 1994, this work failed to identify any previous turf-walled buildings / structures and led to reinterpretation of the site.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record
• Pastscape: 445182

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BUILDING (Built, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1994, Hutholes (Report - Survey). SDV351996.

Building 3. The largest and most substantially constructed of the buildings at Hutholes. Located within the northern sector of the enclosure and oriented broadly east-west with an entrance in the centre of the south wall. The building is rectangular in plan but has slightly curved internal corners. The overall internal dimensions are 13.2 metres by 3.8 metres with a partition wall at the west end, creating a second chamber, 1.8 metres wide. There is also an annex on the western exterior, 1.3 metres wide comprising a low, slightly curving revetted wall extending across the full width of the structure. Map object based on this source.

Henderson, C. G., 1994, Medieval settlements on Dartmoor and in West Devon: the evidence from excavations, 125-9 (Article in Serial). SDV364142.

Unknown, 1995, Unknown title: Hutholes House 3 re-excavation?, 6 (Article in Serial). SDV364146.

Unknown, 1996, Unknown title: Hutholes House 3 re-excavation?, 3 (Article in Serial). SDV364147.

Nenk, B. S. + Haith, C. + Bradley, J., 1997, Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1996, 251-2 (Article in Serial). SDV361739.

SX 702 758. Re-excavation of House 3 undertaken in 1994 by Exeter Archaeology for the Dartmoor National Park Authority. Originally excavated by Mrs Minter in the 1960s who interpreted this house as a 'manor house', the last in a long series of buildings having occupied the site. She identified large numbers of features; stake-holes and post-holes and believed these were associated with turf-walled buildings, eventually transitioning to stone walled longhouses with a transitional type of turf walls faced with stone revetments (instead of wattle work).
The 1994 excavation work uncovered many small rounded features cutting the subsoil. Although some were associated with the stone longhouse, most proved to have been caused by the root systems of plants on site and no evidence of previous buildings or structures could be found. The turf walling was re-interpreted as being secondary additions to the stone longhouse. Western wall formed an upper-end external outshut (probably an animal house) and that on the north was a repair to the exterior of the wall in this area following a partial collapse. There was no evidence found of a porch on the southern side.
J. Allan's pottery interpretation indicates settlement began in the 13th century and abandonment occurred by the late 14th century.

Unknown, 2001, Unknown title: Hutholes?, 6-7 (Article in Serial). SDV364138.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Remains of building visible towards northern end of enclosure. Map object based on this source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6219 - Survey of Hutholes Deserted Medieval Settlement
• EDV7558 - Excavation of Hutholes Medieval settlement, South Rowden
• EDV8586 - Re-excavation of House 3, Hutholes Medieval Settlement

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