See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Track bed leading off the main tramway route through Foggintor (MDV134438) onto a forked spoil tip (one of which has a ruined building against it) via the old weighbridge (MDV28207). A line of granite setts (arranged in pairs) leads off directly towards the ruined Royal Oak Bungalow from the main track at SX 56567 73629.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TRAMWAY (XVIII to Early 20th Century - 1800 AD (Between) to 1920 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The late 19th century First Edition Ordnance Survey map depicts a tramline leading off the main tramway route through Foggintor (MDV134438) approaching the north-west corner of the weighbridge building (MDV28207).

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

The early 20th century Second Edition map shows an ordinary track along the same course, potentially due to the conversion of the weighbridge into a dwelling.

Wakeham, C., 2016, Report on an Audit of Archaeological Features and Structures Relating to Railways and Tramways on Dartmoor Phase 1 (Report - Assessment). SDV360397.

Wakeham, C., 2016, Report on an Audit of Archaeological Features and Structures Relating to Railways and Tramways on Dartmoor Phase 1, DR+T_FQ_020 (Report - Assessment). SDV360397.

Track bed and spoil tip at SX 56554 73589. Track bed leading off the main tramway route through Foggintor (MDV134438) onto a forked spoil tip (one of which has a ruined building against it) via the old weighbridge (MDV28207). A line of granite setts (arranged in pairs) leads off directly towards the ruined Royal Oak Bungalow from the main track at SX 56567 73629. Once into the verge at the side of the main track, the granite setts quickly disappear (either removed or buried under thin turf). The original course of the track bed does not align with the c.1.4m wide gap ( at SX 56561 73590) within the bank around the bungalow. It was possibly diverted, about 5m from the bank, onto its present course when/after the weighbridge was converted to residential use. Judging by the alignment of the two spoil tip spurs at its southwest end, the track bed must have changed course and/or forked about here (SX 56554 73589). The easternmost spoil tip spur was reached via a route that must have just skirted the western edge of the weighbridge and perhaps led under building MDV134451 (which was built later). The spur is an estimated 50m in length, ending at SX 56505 73527. It is c.4m wide and over 7m in height/depth. The tramway to the other, western, spur either ran out from SX 56554 73589, or branched off a little further to the southwest (perhaps in the region of SX 56528 73567). The spur is an estimated 15m in length, ending at SX 56524 73569. The upper surface of the spur is c.3-3.5m wide and it has a shallow, level, 1.4m wide channel along its centre. A granite sett (photograph DR+T_FQ_020_d) may be found c.3.3m back from the end of the spur. It contains four c.3cm diameter holes in a rectangular formation (being 4cm and 8cm apart) within a groove of c.2cm depth. The groove is 40cm by 13cm and aligned northeast-southwest. There is a crack along the two northwest holes, suggesting it was abandoned in situ due to its fracture. A two-roomed, northeast and/or southeast-facing building was constructed against the northwest side of this spur at SX 56522 73579. It measured, externally, c.8m (northwest-southeast) by up to 6m. It appears to be of dry stone construction and the two rooms do not appear to interconnect. The southeast room (c.4.7m by c.3.1m internally) was probably entered via the southeast end wall, in which there is a 3.27m wide gap. The northwest room (3.2m by at least 3m) was probably entered from the northeast. Its northwest end wall is either shorter than the southeast end wall (and it was open-fronted) or the northernmost corner of the building is missing. Another broken granite sett - of similar specification to that described above - lies amid the debris at the open end of the northwest room at SX 56521 73580. It broke off along the two holes at one end of the groove, probably leading to it being discarded - either thrown down here onto the heap or perhaps reused in the walling of this building.
The setts in situ along the main track through Foggintor are quite well-defined and in reasonable condition. The rest of the tramway routes are grassed over and not always well-defined in consequence. The traces of tramway routes on the spoil tip spurs are well-preserved. There is some growth of heather on the spoil tip. The building at the side of the spoil tip is quite ruinous, though considering its precarious position it is perhaps in better order than might be expected. There is a large clump of reeds growing in the southeast room.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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