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Summary

Small southwest-facing sub-rectangular enclosure measuring c.22m (north-west by south-east) by c.20m, lying just a few metres back from the railway track bed.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD (Between) to 1899 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Marked on the late 19th century historic map.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015 onwards, 2015 onward Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV362959.

Visible on the aerial image.

Wakeham, C., 2016, Report on an Audit of Archaeological Features and Structures Relating to Railways and Tramways on Dartmoor Phase 1, DR+T_PDR_004 (Report - Assessment). SDV360397.

Enclosure at SX 55646 73271. Small southwest-facing sub-rectangular enclosure, of c.447m² or c.0.1 acres, which lies just a few metres back from the railway track bed. It measures c.22m (northwest-southeast) by c.20m and is enclosed by a 0.5-0.6m thick granite dry stone wall. There is a part-blocked 2m wide gateway near its eastern corner which has gateposts with drilled holes in the upper surfaces only - two in the northeast post and one in the southwest post. Unusually, there are no holes for typical fittings (hinges and latch ring) along the sides of the posts. The interior of the enclosure appears to be clear of surface granite and its size suggests that it may have been a large vegetable garden - perhaps for potatoes which were recorded as being grown in quantity at nearby Foggintor in 1841 (P&WDRO 874/21/3). The enclosure lies about 40m to the northwest of the White Thorn cottages (DR+T_PDR_005 and DR+T_PDR_006) and James Perkins, one of the residents, is documented as having enclosed some land in the vicinity during the 1850s (P&WDRO 874/21/5 and 874/43). This enclosure may be some of the land in question, although the bulk of it was possibly the 3.3 hectares (c.8 acres) adjoining the outer fields of Criptor and Davytown and centred on SX 55580 73186. The positioning of the enclosure, like that of the White Thorn cottages appears to have been a deliberate calculation to make use of the track bed - if not the tramway itself - for access.
Overall the enclosure is in fair-poor condition. The walls are clearly defined, but are no longer stock proof. The interior of the field is inundated with bracken.

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

Depicted on the modern maps.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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