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Summary

Snecked stone-built remains of bridge which formerly took the Princetown Branch line across the northeast-southwest aligned Yelverton-Princetown road (B3212) at Peekhill Farm, built along an embankment. The historic remains of the bridge consist of a coursed stone block abutment with two wing walls running off each corner. The abutment, composed largely of snecked granite block work, is c.7m in length with a c.3m long wing wall to the northeast and a longer, c.9m wing wall to the southwest.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

Wakeham, C., 2016, Report on an Audit of Archaeological Features and Structures Relating to Railways and Tramways on Dartmoor Phase 1, DR+T_GWRP_111, 173 (Report - Assessment). SDV360397.

[DR+T_GWRP_111] Bridge at SX 54915 69582. Snecked stone-built remains of bridge which formerly took the Princetown Branch line across the northeast-southwest aligned Yelverton-Princetown road (B3212) at Peekhill Farm. It is built along embankment DR+T_GWRP_173. The historic remains of the bridge consist of a coursed stone block abutment with two wing walls running off each corner. The abutment, composed largely of snecked granite block work, is c.7m in length with a c.3m long wing wall to the northeast and a longer, c.9m wing wall to the southwest. Both wing walls are staggered back from the abutment face and lean back into the embankment behind. They are both on a parallel alignment to the abutment (and road) and are partially sloped. The abutment currently stands to a height of 3.15m (southwest corner), about 41% of the original height of the bridge. The bridge originally had an arched interior which was by estimate, 4.9m from the ground to its highest point. The approximate elevation of the track bed at this point was c.6.2m. The tall stone parapets added another c.1.4m and brought the overall bridge height to c.7.6m. The abutment was reduced in height to the shoulder of its arched interior during late 20th century road improvements. The wing walls were also reduced in height to match the abutment (they were originally sloped up all the way to track bed level). The northwest abutment and its splayed wing walls were removed entirely. Before this partial demolition, the bridge had had an interior width of c.5.6m. In 2015 a partial replica of the northwest abutment was constructed as part of a cycle path development. The new work is similar to the original in plan, but is set back a little further to the northwest to accommodate the wider modern road. It is composed mainly of coursed natural stone/slate. A wider, new bridge of stone and steel has also been built over the old railway bridge. There are rusty iron or steel straining posts, fashioned out of bridge rail, to either side of the southeast abutment and wing walls. Both are fitted with diagonal bracing struts, bolted to their southeast faces. They also both have long bolts, with eyelets at their southeast ends for securing fence wire, inserted through the feet of the upright rails. The southwest straining post is near the lower edge of the embankment and the northeast post is on the other side of a sunken footpath. Anthony Kingdom (1991, page 28) reproduced a photograph of the bridge taken by W.E. Stevens, sometime prior to its partial demolition, from which the size of the bride may be gauged. The photograph even includes the lower straining post on the southeast side.
The original fabric of the bridge appears to be in a reasonable condition, although there has been a loss of mortar and there is much vegetation growing out between the resultant gaps. The straining posts are becoming overgrown with brambles, nettles and other weeds.
[DR+T_GWRP_173] Embankment at SX 54922 69626. Very slightly curved embankment either side of the B3212 road at Peekhill, aligned north-south between SX 54944 69739 and SX 54927 69497. It is approximately 240m in length and c.4m wide, tapering out to c.12m at its base. Bridge remnant DR+T_GWRP_111 is located about half way along the embankment, at its deepest point. The embankment would have originally measured in the region of 5.5m in height/depth at either side of the bridge. Its dimensions have been distorted by partial removal in the late 20th century, when the bridge was largely demolished and the road widened. Further distortion has occurred during the establishment of a cycle path here, when new stone-faced revetments were added to accommodate a new bridge, with c.1m higher clearance than the original, in 2015. A black plastic drain pipe (c.0.5m diameter, by estimate) has also been inserted east-west through the embankment, near its northern end, in recent years. The embankment is composed largely of earth presumably with rubble stone mixed in. The 1839 Walkhampton tithe apportionment lists the two fields truncated by the embankment as 726 - New Park (part of Higher Peekhill) to the north of the road and 734 - Blindwell Field (part of Blindwell tenement) to the south. Both were let to Thomas French by Sir Ralph Lopes. In both cases, the truncation by the railway appears to have led to a consequential reconfiguration of the field boundaries.
The condition of the embankment can only be assessed within the parameters of its current composition (including modern alterations). It seems to be in a reasonably stable state. The sides are predominantly grass-covered, although there are brambles, thorns and other vegetation trying to take hold.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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