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Summary

Farmstead dates to at least the late 17th century, based on documentary sources. It was owned in the late 17th century (along with the rest of Gidleigh) by Bartholomew Gidley. Mill is thought to have been animal-powered after the water wheel and millrace were removed. Mill converted into a farmhouse. Depicted on the Tithe Map, the general layout of the farm has changed little since this time.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (XVII - 1650 AD to 1699 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

Gidley Mill is depicted on the Tithe Map, 158 on the Gidleigh apportionment (House, bartons etc.). Dwelling to the north of the site (with kitchen garden north of this) and a cluster of buildings including the mill building to the south-east of the house.

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

The late 19th century map shows some small alterations to the buildings, including an extension on the western end of the dwelling. Some small additional buildings to the north of the site, where the kitchen garden is recorded on the tithe map.

Grumley-Grennan, T. + Hardy, M., 2000, Gidleigh. A Dartmoor Village Past and Present, 43-47 (Monograph). SDV359347.

Gidleigh Mill was acquired by Bartholomew Gidley with the rest of the estate in 1638. In 1656 he built a new mill next to the Barton in the village, to be worked by water diverted from the tinner's leat which served Bradford Pool tin mine. Diverting the leat at the 'south highway' on Gidleigh Common sparked off the famous 'Bradford Pool Case', which lasted for years and was eventually won by Bartholomew's nephew in 1699.
The farmhouse is a three-room-and-through-passage plan, built across the hill slope but was never a longhouse in the strict sense of the word and there is no sign of the millrace or millpond that would have been needed to drive a mill. Mill may have been animal driven; one of the buildings was a threshing barn with round house connected; indicating animal power was used. Apparently the original water wheel and millrace were removed when the extension to the right of the front entrance was built at the time the mill was converted into a farmhouse.
Mill was sold to Henry Endacott in 1733 and remained in the family for almost 200 years. In the 20th century, the property changed hands a number of times and in the late 1980s underwent an extensive refurbishment/alteration programme.

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

Included on list. No further detail provided.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Modern map shows little change from the late 19th century historic map, although some of the small structures to the south-east and north of the farm are now gone. Large extension on the western end of the farmhouse.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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