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Summary

Medieval farmstead comprising longhouse, associated croft and outbuildings are situated on the slope at the north end of Crownhill Down, just below the Bottle Hill leat, within a banked enclosure. The earthworks are largely obscured from view by mature gorse and bracken but the enclosure remains partly visible on aerial photographs

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 439456
• National Monuments Record: SX56SE123
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/101
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX56SE123

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (Constructed, Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))
• LONGHOUSE (Constructed, Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4252-4253 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

A rectilinear enclosure is visible as an earthwork.

Edwards, C., 1979, An archaeological survey of an area surrounding Hemerdon Ball (Report - Survey). SDV337241.

Longhouse with croft, outbuilding and a large enclosure visited on 13th July 1979. Positioned on the slope of the north end of Crownhill Down just below the Bottle Hill leat is a classic Medieval longhouse, aligned downslope, containing a large boulder indicating internal division. To the east joining the enclosure wall is a long slim outhouse centred at SX57616106, outside the confines of the enclosure is a small outhouse centred at SX57586105. A Medieval wall runs from the corner of outhouse at SX57616106 south-east to SX57646102, cornering south-west to join a remodelled field wall at the north end of the field system at SX57576095. All walls are constructed of earth and boulders. Measurements given.

Gilbertson, D. + Collis, J., 1982, Mapping Three Millennia of Settlement and Land Use on Crownhill Down, South West Dartmoor (Article in Serial). SDV362901.

Gilbertson, D. + Collis, J., 1985, Linear Banks on Crownhill Down, Dartmoor (Article in Serial). SDV337244.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, SX56SE (Cartographic). SDV336987.

A longhouse and some sub-rectangular enclosures are visible.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 194-6, Map 52, Figure 52.16 (Monograph). SDV137656.

'Long house' with two outbuildings to the south of 'Tory Brook' on Ridding Down. The material for the buildings came, partly at least, from the walls of the oval Enclosure '2' alongside of prehistoric date.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5760 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A rectilinear enclosure is visible as an earthwork.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5760 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

The bases of two rectilinear structures and a rectangular earthwork hollow are visible as earthworks.

National Monuments Record, 2002, 439456, 5 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV343618.

Well preserved footings of a Medieval longhouse and two small outbuildings constitute the remains of a fine farmstead. The longhouse is sub divided and its footings stand to 0.6 metres high. The entrances are not presently discernible. One outbuilding is cut into the hillslope on the east side and a freestanding building, probably a barn, lies to the west. There are two small linked plots. Set within a slight hollow on the north-west facing valley slope this settlement lies within a Prehistoric reave system which was clearly reused during its occupancy. The area is now covered by dense spreads of mature gorse and bracken. Other details: Figure 3 and Crownhill Down Survey.

Fletcher, M., 2002, The Archaeological Landscape of Crownhill Down and Ridding Down: Survey Report, 5 (Report - Survey). SDV343412.

Other details: Figure 3 and Crownhill Down Survey.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Banks defining part of a rectilinear enclosure 15m wide and 20m long are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1948 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.
The visible earthworks are probably part of the farmstead enclosure associated with the longhouse described by the above authorities.
The footings of the longhouse and outbuildings are visible as slight earthwork banks with irregular visible masonry on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2016.
The farmstead appears to have cut into the north-east corner of an oval enclosure of prehistoric date (MDV12908).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4559 - Archaeological Landscape of Crownhill Down and Riddding Down
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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