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Summary

Farmstead dates to at least the later medieval period. Depicted on the Tithe Map, by the early 20th century, a new farmhouse had been constructed in the centre of the farm.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SW80
• National Monuments Record: SX67SW82
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 620790
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 909780
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/98/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Early Medieval to XVI - 1066 AD (Between) to 1540 AD (Between))
• SHRUNKEN VILLAGE (Constructed, Early Medieval to XVI - 1066 AD (Between) to 1540 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256195.

Des= Timms, S. /notes on lecture given by H. S. A. Fox at exeter university on 5/3/1983. The hamlet of Dunnabridge was settled in 1301 (when it first appears in Duchy accounts as "new rent"). Five renters are named and each had 19 1/5 acres of the total of 95 acres of land taken in. This settlement represents group colonisation supported by a small shared open field system. Documents of 17th century continue to name five renters with fields in common land. The layout of the open field system has since been obliterated (Timms quoting Fox).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256200.

Jones, b. /history of the dartmoor tenements/(1988).

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

Two main buildings with smaller associated structures shown on the Tithe Map for 'Dunnabridge'.

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

Buildings appear more spaced out on this version of the historic mapping; either that or the western buildings in the group have changed.

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 193 (Monograph). SDV1312.

'Donebrugge' is referred to in 1305, and 'Dunbrigge' in 1347. The name may be interpreted as a 'bridge by the down'.

Gill, C. (ed.), 1970, Dartmoor: a New Study, 150 (Monograph). SDV161800.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 444-5 (Monograph). SDV249702.

(SX 6474). A medieval occupation site at lower Dunnabridge is situated on a valley shelf under Dunnabridge Common. The site is on the main Dart valley side, rather than in the Dunna Brook watershed, but is considered as an important, integral part of the hamlet of Dunnabridge, which it forms together with Dunnabridge Pound Farm, the Pound (SX 67 SW 22), and Brownberry (SX 67 SW 64). In 1305 there were 5 tenement-holders each farming 3 furlongs. By the early 17th century only 2 of the temements were occupied.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(15/06/1988) Dunnabridge is first mentioned in 1305 when rent was payable from "3 ferlings of land" containing 96 acres "at Donnebruge" (see Dartmoor, 1970).
The land was let in equal parts to five named tenants. There were still five tenements in 1786; four of them were held by Thomas Leaman and one by John Leaman (1839 Tithe Map). In 1839, four of the tenements were still occupied by the Leaman family (Jones, B., History of the Dartmoor Tenements, Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments in England, 1988). In 1910 Dunnabridge farm consisted of nearly 197 acres, a house and "adequate" outbuildings. Dunnabridge pound farm was occupied by William Tuckett, who had the farmhouse and nearly 135 acres of land.
The arrangement of farm buildings and yards at Dunnabridge suggests that the dwellings of the medieval tenants were grouped around a green or similar open space. The present outbuildings incorporate the remains of 3 earlier buildings (i-iii) which themselves may have succeeded the medieval settlement;
I) SX 64227427. The remains of a former dwelling are preserved within the structure of a barn located immediately E of the present farmhouse. The SE wall contains the fine fireplace and chimney of a building which may not have been of longhouse design; there is no evidence for a shippon or through-passage. A mullion, and a granite window head with two semi-circular openings, are incorporated into the SE wall of a lean-to. The buildings abutting at the NW and se seem to be of later date.
Ii) SX 64177427. The barn W of the modern farmhouse, although extended and altered in recent times, shows evidence of a through-passage and blocked windows.
Iii) SX 64257427. The predecessor of the modern farmhouse. The building, photographed by Burnard c.1885 was largely demolished to provide stone for the present house (see Hemery). It was the largest of the 3 buildings but the squared-off NW gable, the footings of the SW wall and parts of the ne and se walls are all that now remain.
The present field pattern may fossilise the Medieval agricultural landscape. Individual tenant holdings cannot now be identified; it may however, be significant that at least 3 distinct blocks can be detected in the existing field pattern. The area SW of Dunnabridge farm is divided into 2 by a long field boundary leading from the farm buildings to the W newtake. The fields immediately N of the farm buildings to the form a third unit. NE of the west dart river one cornditch marks the SW edge of the in-bye, and another surrounds a trapezoid-shaped plot. In 1839, this plot was called "Granfer's Park": "Two Pence Lane" separated it from the in-bye.
A field of about 3.2 hectares, 400m N of Dunnabridge Farm, contains ridge-and-furrow. It is cut by a late 18th century turnpike road, now the B3357. Although beyond the present limit of the farm, the pattern of field boundaries in this area suggests that the field was once an integral part of Dunnabridge Farm.

McKay, K., 1994 - 1997, Dartmoor National Park Authority Farmstead Survey 1994-1997 (Report - Survey). SDV344544.

Farmstead included in survey. Visited during August 1992.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8633 - Dunnabridge Farm, Duchy Farms Survey-Not finished
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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