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Summary

Coursed granite and brick-built bridge in the sunken stroll or waste between fields of the two former Horseyeatt tenements (fully consolidated by Sir Massey Lopes in the 1870s). The Great Western Railway track bed follows the old route of the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway, suggesting there must have been a bridge here from c.1819, but the construction detail indicates later construction. It is built along a small embankment and has a northeast-southwest orientated opening (2.54m in height). The historic remains of the bridge consist of two opposing composite coursed granite block and brick abutments with slightly splayed wing walls running off each corner.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RAILWAY BRIDGE (XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• RAILWAY EMBANKMENT (XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Wakeham, C., 2016, Report on an Audit of Archaeological Features and Structures Relating to Railways and Tramways on Dartmoor Phase 1, DR+T_GWRP_091, 182 (Report - Assessment). SDV360397.

[DR+T_GWRP_091] Bridge at SX 54796 70373. Coursed granite and brick-built bridge in the sunken stroll or waste between fields of the two former Horseyeatt tenements (fully consolidated by Sir Massey Lopes in the 1870s). The Great Western Railway track bed follows the old route of the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway, suggesting there must have been a bridge here from c.1819, but the construction detail indicates later construction. It is built along a small embankment (DR+T_GWRP_182) and has a northeast-southwest orientated opening (2.54m in height). The historic remains of the bridge consist of two opposing composite coursed granite block and brick abutments with slightly splayed wing walls running off each corner. The lower c.1.5m of the opposing abutments are composed of coursed granite, above which are eight courses of bricks, laid in English Bond and capped with a row of granite blocks. The blocks of the granite capping all appear to have a single hole drilled into their outer faces. There are reused blocks with two drilled holes apiece in the lower walling on both sides - six on the northwest side and three in the southeast. In most cases the holes are within c.0.2m wide indentations across their surfaces and several also have rust stains. They appear to be reused granite setts from the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway. The lowest positioning of the setts is the second course up from the ground, suggesting the bridge's construction dates to the Great Western Railway phase (1883). The interior of the bridge is 2m wide (northwest-southeast) and 5.77m in length. The northeast wing walls extended a further c.1.7m from the bridge, and the southwest wing walls extended a further c.2.2m (later extended another 0.6m again). The wing walls were originally sloped, but more stonework was later added to give them a more or less straight upper surface. The floor of the bridge is lined with granite setts and indented along the centre to carry a streamlet. The granite floor lining overshoots the lower side of the stone facing and the streamlet is guided into a ditch by some granite curbing. The higher side of the bridge's floor is being encroached upon by spreading turf. Rectangular coursed granite pillars are mounted on the top of the bridge at each corner. Another potential Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway sett has been used in the construction of the westernmost of these pillars. The bridge was probably fitted with a flat iron/steel deck and parapet. It is now fitted with a wooden bridge deck and wooden fencing. At, or near, the corner of the bridge is a rusty iron or steel straining post, fashioned out of bridge rail. They are all fitted with a diagonal bracing strut and about seven long wire-fastening bolts apiece (with eyelets at their outward looking ends for securing fence wire, projecting through the feet of the upright rails). Three of the upright posts appear to be c.2m in height, although this may be a result of the collapse of the stone-facing from the wing walls and sides of the embankment. The upright post at the far end of the west abutment is c.1.2-1.4m in height. There are three wooden posts with ridged heads to the southeast of the eastern straining post.
The bridge is in a fairly good condition, although the pointing is deteriorating in places and weeds are growing through the defects. The state of the mortar on the westernmost wing wall is very poor. Brambles and a tree are encroaching on the northeast elevation.
[DR+T_GWRP_091] Embankment at SX 54782 70378. Northwest-southeast aligned embankment either side of bridge DR+T_GWRP_091, between SX 54767 70403 and SX 54800 70356. It is approximately 50-60m in total length and carries the Princetown Branch track bed across a wide stroll leading down to the old Horseyeatt farmsteads. There are patches of rubble stone facing next to all four wing walls of the bridge, although it appears to be composed mainly of earth and rubble. The longer, northwest section of the embankment is c.30m in length and c.4m wide. As this section crosses farmland at a higher elevation than the stroll containing the bridge, it is only c.0.3m in height and its sides are almost vertical with a basic stone kerb along part of the southwest side. The 1839 Walkhampton tithe apportionment lists the fields either side of this section of the embankment as 680 - Lower Ground (to the northeast) and 678 - Little Clover Field (to the southwest). Both were part of the Horseyeatt tenement on lease to Andrew Physick. William Gardner's 1784 map depicts a field boundary between the two fields on about the same alignment as the embankment, suggesting the latter may overlie an old hedge. The southeast section of the embankment is located within the stroll itself. It is 15m or more in length and is c.10m across at its widest point (between gateways DR+T_GWRP_092). Its base splays out to c.10m next to the bridge and c.30m at the southeast end (where it is crossed by a farm track). At its deepest point, the embankment is c.3m in height/depth. It is not clear if the embankment was constructed for the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway or the later Princetown Branch (which appears to have crossed the stroll at the same point).
The northwest section of the embankment is in good condition. It is grassed over and fairly stable. The areas of stone-facing around the bridge are in poor order. A number of stones have fallen out of place and appear to be threatening to destabilize the straining posts. There are brambles and a tree encroaching on the northeast side of the bridge. The southeast section of the embankment is used as a farm track and has a bare earth and stone surface. As it has evidently been used as such since the construction of the Princetown Branch (at least), its state may be considered fair-good.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

Depicted on the modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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