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Summary

Deserted Medieval site consisting of five buildings on Gutter Tor. This site is included in the local list of Nationally Important Dartmoor sites.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Medieval landscape at Gutter Tor and Eastern Tor comprising Ditsworthy Warren with numerous pillow mounds, a field system and deserted settlement site and sub-circular enclosure containing ridge and furrow, Bronze Age hut circle sites and a cairn

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE119
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438837
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/93

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))
• ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 239-240 (Monograph). SDV1312.

Gutter Tor was mentioned as 'Gotetorre' in 1281 and 'Gotterknap' in 1539.

Royal Air Force, 1953, 58/1110, 0029 (Aerial Photograph). SDV157241.

Cook, R. M. L., 1964, Old vermin traps on south-west Dartmoor, 198 (Article in Serial). SDV230549.

Group of five ruined buildings; medieval.

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, 124-5 (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

SX 578667 A deserted medieval site possibly known as Gutter Tor.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 41 (Un-published). SDV150434.

Site visited 25th August 1966. A group of two longhouses with three outbuildings. Possibly associated with an extensive field system running to the south-west. A discarded millstone is visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1975, OS/75/369, 219-20, 28 (Aerial Photograph). SDV254607.

Not visible.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX5766, 2/428 (Aerial Photograph). SDV232536.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56NE119 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV232531.

(28/06/1977) The Medieval farmstead on the south slope of Gutter Tor is centred at SX 57896677. It comprises one building of longhouse type 19.0m by 4.0m, with a subdivision and outshut, and three subsidiary buildings from 8.0m to 13.0m long, set at right angles to the contours. All the walls are of tumbled drystone rubble and are up to 0.6m high. A fifth minor building is to the north west of the subdivided walled structure which may have been two yards. (see illustration). There are two or three small plots near the buildings. Heavy drystone walling up to 1.0m high extends to the south and west of the settlement and appears to be associated. It forms four or five squarish fields in an area of 8 hectares centred at SS 57806670, with evidence of rig and furrow ploughing.
Settlement surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Price, D. G., 1980, The Moorland Plym, 86 (Article in Serial). SDV254604.

Dwelling with outbuildings. Strip fields in the vicinity. Other details: Figure 2a.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

One building only visible attached or incorporated into boundary of field system SX56NE/442.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, Map 49 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Six small rectangular buildings depicted on map.

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

(03/08/1999) Centred SX 57896677. A small medieval settlement is situated in a slight declivity in the east facing slope of Gutter Tor overlooking Gutter Mire. Five rectangular buildings and several attached enclosures lie within the remains of a large field system.
The principal structure appears to be a longhouse-type building centred at SX 57916679. It lies across the contours, as do all these structures, and possesses a long, sloping interior measuring 21.5m by an average of 3.2m wide. A small rubble pile may mark the former site of an internal wall cutting off the west third of the building. An entrance, possibly with a porch lies centrally in the south wall and traces of rubble-filled outshots lie adjacent to the south-east corner.
Some 15m to the south, centred SX 57906678, are the remains of a cross-passage type building measuring 10.5m by 4.0m wide again with a porch on the south side. There are no discernible internal features. A similar structure, 7.0m by 3.5m internally lies 50m to the east at SX 57956678.
At SX 57896674 are the remains of another rectangular building 10.0m by 3.5m internally with a possible entrance near the south-east corner. This building is adjoined by a small enclosure on its north side while two well-constructed, partially terraced yards lie to the west across a narrow hollow way.
A fifth structure at SX 57876676 adjoins a massive boulder and measures 5.0m by 2.1m. There is no obvious entrance.
This settlement is one of perhaps 10 or 12 that lie within extensive field systems either side of the River Plym most of which appear to have failed to thrive and were abandoned by the Post medieval period when the warrens were established. At the Gutter Tor settlement the hollow way between the fourth structure and the yards was blocked by a vermin trap and a large pillow mound encroaches on the largest building which may have been partially stripped to provide constructional material.

Whitbourn, A., 2001, An Archaeological Investigation into features comprising, and associated with, Ditsworthy Warren, 80 (Report - Assessment). SDV360381.

Medieval buildings including two long houses, three outbuildings and a millstone. A field system to the south includes 2-3 small plots and 4-5 fields including evidence of ridge and furrow. In 1985 only one structure was visible.

Gerrard, S., 2004, List of Sites Remaining to be Considered for Designation on Dartmoor (Un-published). SDV345444.

This site was considered for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument during the Monument Protection Programme. The programme ended before the entire list of sites was successfully scheduled so this is included on a local list of Nationally Important Sites.

Newman, P. + Probert, S., 2005, Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV363484.

(11/03/2005) These features remain in good condition and as described in 1999.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Medieval Survey Information (Report - Survey). SDV345602.

The remains of a small medieval farmstead lie on the lower south-eastern slope of Gutter Tor. Five rectangular buildings and several attached enclosures lie within the remains of a large field system.
Map object partly based on this source.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Medieval Survey Information (Report - Survey). SDV345602.

Five rectangular stuctures visible on survey. Another rectangular feature to the south-west has a central division.

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

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

Gutter Tor included in list. No further information provided.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UPRM-23 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(29/01/2020) Condition of the settlement assessed by volunteer recorders as ?good, although vegetation encroachment is causing serious issues to the damage (heavy bracken). Suggested as stable, although monitoring advised.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs (Photograph). SDV363073.

Feature photographed during January 2020 visit.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7443 - Condition survey of archaeological sites in Ringmoor Training Area
• EDV7551 - Ditsworthy Warren: An archaeological investigation
• EDV7569 - Condition survey of Ringmoor Down training area
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey

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