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Summary

The remains of a deserted post medieval farm. There is scant evidence for the buildings north of the stream where quarrying and dumping has taken place and the field banks have been removed. A corner of a drystone rubble building appears to be cut into the slope to the south-west and to the north the probable inner edge of the wall can be discerned. To the south of the stream is the probable dwelling house. It is a two roomed building which measures 12.5 metres by 4.3 metres internally, and is 0.6 metres high, with roughly dressed slate slab walls 0.8 metres thick, cut back into the slope to a depth of 2.7 metres.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE184
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439018
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/347

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (XV to XIX - 1401 AD to 1880 AD (Between))
• FIELD SYSTEM (XV to XIX - 1401 AD to 1880 AD (Between))

Full description

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

'Smallacombe' shown on the Tithe Map as a T-shaped building in a rectilinear enclosure with a rectangular building to the south and a rectangular enclosure to the east. The Apportionment for 'Smallacombe' lists Field Number 304 as 'House & C' and Field Number 305 as 'Garden'. The Apportionment for a small building to the south lists it as 'Snows or Smallacombe' where Field Number 365 is listed as 'Waste'.

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

Faint remains of this farmstead visible on 19th century map..

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 240 (Monograph). SDV1312.

Smallcombe was mentioned as 'Smalacumba' in 1291.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 127, plan (Un-published). SDV150434.

(Visited 14/03/1966) In the fields of Yeo Farm, approached by a sunken lane which descends from the Marchants Cross to Ringmoor Cot track into the deep watercourse (Yeo Brook) which here bounds the fields of Yeo Farm. Rising on the opposite side of the gully, it enters what was formerly the farmyard. Little remains but half a small building (axis north-west by south-east), a few scattered stones and the hedge and the divisions of what may have been outhouses built against it. A squared vertical stone 0.91 metres by 0.61 metres may have been part of a wall or a boundary stone. A clearly visible cart track, entirely grassed over, passes through the farmyard across the next field towards the top of the hill.

Haynes, R. G., 1978, Typescript notes and plans (Un-published). SDV285917.

Half way up Smallacombe valley lies the enclosures and ruined dwelling house of Smallacombe Farm, now farmed by Yeo Farm. The outhouses are mostly ploughed out though the remains of the house are visible south of the stream at SX 554667 adjacent to the field system. (SX 56 NE 126).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX56NE184 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV274432.

(13/08/1980) Centred at SX 55436672 on either side of a stream at 218.m OD are the remains of Smallacombe Farm. There is scant evidence for the buildings north of the stream where quarrying and dumping has taken place and the field banks have been removed. A corner of a drystone rubble building appears to be cut into the slope to the south-west and to the north the probable inner edge of the wall can be discerned, (see plan). To the south of the stream is the probable dwelling house. It is a two roomed building which measures 12.5m. by 4.3m internally, and is 0.6m. high, with roughly dressed slate slab walls 0.8m. thick, cut back into the slope to a depth of 2.7m.
The farmstead and fields appear to be quite late and are certainly of post Medieval date. Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Part of a former field boundary shown on modern mapping.

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

Site of farm buildings to Smallacombe, Sheepstor.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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