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Summary

Middle Bonehill farmhouse probably originated as a longhouse in the 14th century with later additions and alterations. Eight phases of development were identified in 2010 survey beginning in the 14th century with a single storey stone rubble cross passage house. A first floor room or solar was added over the parlour in the 15th century. The porch was added in 1682 by John Smeardon. Other phases involved the building of a stable to the front and a major refurbishment of the living quarters and shippon in the late 19th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1242234: MIDDLE BONEHILL FARMHOUSE, INCLUDING GARDEN WALL IN FRONT OF RIGHT HAND SIDE OF HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX77NW80
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 898189
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NW/37
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 1242234

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LONGHOUSE (Constructed, XIII to XVII - 1300 AD (Between) to 1699 AD (Between))

Full description

Unknown, 1843, Widecombe in the Moor (Cartographic). SDV290272.

Shown as 'Bunhill' on the 19th century Tithe Map Apportionment in Field Number 267 described as a house, gardens and yard. Arable land shown on Tithe Map.

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

Building shown on the north side of the road at 'Bonehill' on 19th century map.

Beeson, M. M. R. + Masterman, M. C. H., 1979, An Archaeological Survey of Enclosed Land in Widecombe-In-The-Moor Parish, 87 (Report - Survey). SDV337078.

Visited on 29th August 1979. Middle Bonehill farmhouse has a date over the porch of 1682. An old longhouse. According to local information the shippen is now a store room. Inside there is a panelled wall and an open fireplace with little changed. Other details: Volume I.

Department of Environment, 1986, Widecombe in the Moor (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV289221.

Middle Bonehill farmhouse including the garden wall formerly listed as Bonehill farmhouse. Longhouse of the 16th or 17th century, possibly earlier with entrance porch and wing of 1682; later lean-to in front of shippon. Older house part covered with roughcast, shippon of exposed coursed granite rubble; additions of granite rubble. Two storeys. Many different features.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/JX, 10a (Aerial Photograph). SDV345088.

Whitten, E. H. T., 2009, Bonehill: Evolution of a Dartmoor Hamlet, 87-99 (Monograph). SDV348680.

Middle Bonehill farmhouse is a traditional longhouse with cross passage with a later thatched porch. Until the late 19th century it was originally attached to the threshing barn to the east. Documents mentioning Middle Bonehill date from the 16th century onwards. In a sale poster of 1869 the farm is called 'Bunhill'. Other details: Figures 30-31.

Pidgeon, J. R., 2010, Middle Bonehill: An Archaeological and Historical Survey of the Longhouse Prior to Building Works (Report - Assessment). SDV347142.

Middle Bonehill is a two storey granite rubble longhouse 23 metres long by 7 metres wide with the long axis running west to east on the north side of the lane. It has a slate roofed hall/parlour end with an asbestos sheeted shippon to the east and a prominent two-storeyed thatched porch. There is a single storey stable outshot to the front of the shippon with a corrugated iron roof and a pantry outshot to the rear of the cross passage. The massive central chimney stack incorporates two bread ovens and provides the division between the cross passage and the hall and a mortared rubble wall between the cross passgae and the shippon. Eight phases of development were identified beginning in the 14th century with a single storey stone rubble cross passage house. A first floor room or solar was added over the parlour in the 15th century. The porch was added in 1682 by John Smeardon. Other phases involved the building of a stable to the front and a major refurbishment of the living quarters and shippon in the late 19th century.

National Monuments Record, 2011, 898189 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV347141.

16th or 17th century farmhouse.

English Heritage, 2011, Historic Houses Register (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV346128.

Middle Bonehill farmhouse, including garden wall in front of right-hand side of house was formerly listed as Bonehill Farmhouse and attached Barn. Longhouse of the 16th or 17th century, possibly earlier, with entrance porch and wing of 1682; later lean-to in front of shippon. Older house part covered with roughcast, shippon of exposed coursed granite rubble; additions of granite rubble. House part has tarred slated roof, except for the 1682 wing which has a thatched roof, half-hipped at the front. Shippon, half-hipped at the lower end, is covered with corrugated asbestos and the lean-to in front of it with corrugated iron. Old house part has a large granite ashlar chimneys stack with thatch weatherings and tapered top on centre of ridge (heating the former hall). Small granite stack, probably of 19th century, on right-hand gable, 3-room and through-passage plan with hall stack backing on to passage; shippon occupies the room to left of passage. Entrance porch of 1682 has small room to right of it. Two storeys. House part including the porch wing, is three windows wide; all windows have 19th century wood casements with two or three panes per light. Right-hand ground storey window has the lintel of a three-light stone-mullioned window. The windows in the wing have flat arches with roughly cut voussoirs. The porch doorway is of moulded granite with a round arch, the spandrels carved with the initials and date IS 1682. At rear of porch an old plank door with wrought-iron strap hinges. In the left wall of the porch is a slight projection containing a water trough cut from a single piece of granite; at its base is a small hole for an outlet pipe. The shippon has a small doorway with plain granite lintel and plank door, just to left of the porch. Its gable-end contains three ventilation slits at ground-storey level and a fourth at the top of the wall. Halfway up are two small openings resembling putlog holes. The lean-to in front of the shippon appears to have been a pigsty, probably of early 19th century, with Three compartments separated internally by low walls composed of large, upright pieces of slate. Each compartment has a doorway with a plain granite lintel, two at the front and one at the right-hand side; each has a plank door with wrought-iron strap-hinges, and inside, on the floor, is a feeding trough cut from a single piece of granite. Garden wall in front of the house part is of large-scale granite rubble. Interior of house not inspected, but former hall appears to have a large open fireplace; at its upper end, facing the fireplace, is a long seat with a late 16th or early 17th century panelled back. Shippon has old drain down the middle and feeding-trough stones along each long wall. Roof-timbers are 18th or early 19th century. Other details: LBS Number 1242234.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Middle Bonehill shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5007 - Middle Bonehill Archaeological and Historical Survey

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