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Summary

Series of interlinked deserted Medieval settlements (Sites 52-59) to the south-west of Okehampton set within an extensive Medieval field system. These settlements seem to have been cleared when the area was converted to a deer park in the early 14th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002630: Deserted medieval site N of Okehampton camp
• Scheduled Monument 1002654: Deserted medieval site 1/4 mile (400m) W of Okehampton camp
• Scheduled Monument 1004602: Deserted medieval site NW of Okehampton camp
• Scheduled Monument 1002655: Deserted medieval site 1/2 mile (810m) W of Okehampton camp
• Scheduled Monument 1002653: Medieval homesteads S of Meldon quarry
• SHINE: Earthworks and stone walls of a prehistoric cairnfield, cairns and hut circles, medieval field system and deserted medieval settlements and modern miltary training camp in Okehampton Park

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX59SE2
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440846
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX59SE/5
• Old SAM County Ref: 22

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (VIII to Late Medieval - 701 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))
• FARMSTEAD (Constructed, Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))
• LEPER HOSPITAL (Constructed, Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G TUD UK 138, 5358-5359 (Aerial Photograph). SDV217995.

Linehan, C. D., 1965, Deserted Sites on Dartmoor, Devon, 174 (Article in Serial). SDV217992.

A deserted medieval settlement is visible occupying a large part of the north, northeast and southwest slopes of Black Down. There are several well preserved areas of ridge and furrow, and there are two groups of lynchets at SX57509300 and SX57959280. A number of ruined buildings are visible.

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, 125-31, Other details: Plans. (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

The upper slope of Okehampton Park has a series of interlinked deserted longhouse groups. They extend from Meldon Quarry to St Michael's bungalow, and include a field system with ridge and furrow. Between 1221 and 1306 the area was converted to a Deer Park by the Courtenay family.
(Area centred: SX 580930) See plans. Seven sites, containing together the remains of 35 long-houses, with numerous enclosures and traces of sunken trackways, lie within less than one mile of the remains of a chapel on the slopes overlooking Okehampton from the southwest. The sites lie roughly along a NE-SW axis and parallel to the main trackway (SX 59 SE 8) which passes through the chapel site. Subsidiary tracks, lost in places, connect the sites to each other and the main track. There are numerous springs in the vicinity. As the visible remains of the deserted sites are of stone, occupation in the 13th century, at least, is probable with a distinct possibility of a Saxon origin.
Site 52: The Chapel. The ruins of the south and west wings, each about 22 feet long by 19 feet wide, lie within substantial enclosure-banks. Several dressed stones lying within the ruins appear to be parts of a window or door.
Site 53: The remains of at least eleven long-houses in three groups and the confused remains of enclosure walls half hidden in the bracken. In group "A" two houses lie side by side near a circular enclosure or pound. Group "B" contains four long-houses above a good spring the largest over 72 feet long and two more some distance to the east barely distinguished in the undergrowth. Group "C", on the brow of the hill has three houses, parallel to one another, and close together.
Site 54: Three buildings, the largest 63 feet by 14 feet, lie S of the Chapel near a spring.
Site 55: Six houses, five on the S side of a trackway and one on the north. The house north of the track measures 52 feet by 12 feet. A spring lies to the NE.
Site 56: Two long-houses parallel to each other with a circular pound at the N end of one. A stream runs W of the site and sunken tracks lead S to the moor.
Site 57: Two buildings with enclosures, one with remains of a chimney, the other possibly a barn. The ruins appear to be of a late date but the enclosures might be older.
Site 58: Three buildings lie close together and parts of a fourth and larger building lie to the east. There are traces of crofts but the ground has been disturbed possibly by mining.
Site 59: Seven long-houses in two groups 21 feet apart. The largest is 59 feet by 12 feet with the upper end room tapering to 9 feet. Some have been used as a dump for stones from recent field-clearance, and three are hidden in a spinney. A spring runs through the site, and there are traces of a sunken track, an oval pound and remains of enclosures and crofts.
The connection is tenuous but it is recorded that the Tithe Map for Okehampton Hamlets assigns the name 'Hospital' to the chapel enclosure in Okehampton Park, SX 582932.

Knowles, D. + Hadcock, R. N., 1971, Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales, 329 (Monograph). SDV323253.

An hospital for lepers founded in Okehampton before 1307. It is not known when it ceased to exist.

Cartographical Services, 1972, 320/253406-411 (Aerial Photograph). SDV217984.

Cartographical Services, 1973, 384/5397 (Aerial Photograph). SDV217985.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1974, SX59SE2 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV215263.

(30/10/1974) The foundations of six groups of longhouses with ancillary buildings which have been identified may not be exhaustive since others could be concealed in the dense furze which covers part of Okehampton Park.
For the most part the buildings now appear as banks of stone and earth up to 0.5m high. A few are cut back into a local slope but the majority occur on level ground.
Small medieval fields with attendant trackways are traceable throughout the area, approximately 50 hectares. Some of the fields show evidence of rigg and furrow ploughing.
Site 53: Eleven scattered buildings, centred SX 58559335, four or five probably longhouses.
Four 'garden' plots and two well defined trackways occur in this settlement.
54. SX 58379310. Three buildings, the centre one a probable longhouse.
55. SX 58019293. Six buildings, two probably houses, the others barns etc, with three 'garden' plots or yards.
56. SX 57689274. One house and pound, one ?barn with its N end having an entrance to a pound or yard, and one small building.
57. SX 57439245. The remains of a cottage and barn, the former having mortared walling up to 1.3m high and unlike a long house in plan. Not medieval though it may occupy an earlier site.
58. SX 57479222. Three parallel buildings the centre one probably a longhouse, and another at SX 57539225.
59. SX 57309298. Two adjacent groups containing two probable houses, three possible ones, two ancillary buildings and two small pounds.
52. The Chapel. The building was evidently constructed by cutting back into a sharp S slope and, robbed of stone, its site and plan are only determined by the scarping which remains. This implies an E-W building with a south wing. An Early English style doorhead and window head lie within the area. (See also SX 59 NE 4).
Except 57, all sites surveyed at 1:2500

Ordnance Survey, 1975, OS/75/369, 159, 160 (Aerial Photograph). SDV254607.

Some of the sites are visible on an air photo.

Balkwill, C. J., 1976, Quarries, 4-17 (Report - Survey). SDV325006.

The creation of the deer park presumably caused the desertion of the sites.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 157, 159, 163 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

The area of scattered farmsteads surviving today as earthworks on the northern slopes of the moor were probably abandoned by the early 14th century. There is no documentary evidence to give a name to this area of settlement and the name 'Saxongate' is considered insufficient evidence to support the location of the Saxon 'Ocmundtune' in this area.

Unknown, 1976, Unknown title, 7 (Article in Serial). SDV215382.

A complex of seven buildings at Meldon Quarry (Site 59?) has been excavated. Some of the buildings are of "long house" design. The pottery found suggests abandonment in the late 13th or early 14th century.

Balkwill, C. J., 1977, Archaeology and Development in Rural Devon, 16-8, Fig 2 (Monograph). SDV217976.

Detailed discussion of documentary sources and field evidence for deserted medieval village and park.

Austin, D., 1978, Excavations in Okehampton Deerpark, Devon, 191-238 (Article in Serial). SDV217971.

The farmstead groups are connected to each other by trackways which run between heavily embanked fields; a polyfocal settlement.
Excavation report site 59.

Austin, D. + Daggett, R. H. + Walker, M. J. C., 1980, Farms and fields in Okehampton Park, 39-58 (Article in Serial). SDV324998.

There are ten abandoned sites within the area of the park, of which three are later than the creation of deerpark. The other seven are probably contemporary, the excavated example having 13th century occupation. Associated with these farmsteads is a system of fields and trackways.

DCC, 1982, 538/20 (Photograph). SDV217988.

Weston, S., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV343247.

(01/01/1983) Field Monument Warden visit.

DCC, 1983, S80/11 (Photograph). SDV217993.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/EA, 2a,3-6,6a,7-11,11a,12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV215278.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/EC, 10a (Aerial Photograph). SDV217997.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/ED, 1-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV215279.

Photograph taken on 5th March 1986.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/EE, 5-11a (Aerial Photograph). SDV217999.

Photograph taken on 5th March 1986.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/EK, 7-12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV215280.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/EL, 1-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV215281.

Photograph taken on 5th March 1986.

Austin, D., 1985, Dartmoor and the Upland Village of the South West, 71-9 (Article in Monograph). SDV217979.

Austin discusses the interpretation of these sites.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/GK, 7a-11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV215282.

Griffith, F. M., 1987, DAP/HU, 6-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV218009.

Griffith, F. M., 1988, DAP/KC, 9-12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV218010.

Pattison, P., 1992, Okehampton Deserted Medieval Settlements (Report - Survey). SDV217981.

(15/05/1992) The West Park area of the former deer park at Okehampton was surveyed by staff of the RCHME Exeter office in Jan-Feb 1992 at the request of Dartmoor National Park Authority. The area, centred at SX 57209220, was surveyed at 1/2500. The two deserted settlements known as sites 57 and 58 were subject to more detailed analysis at 1/1000 scale. The archive report contains full historical and archaeological analysis of the area.
Seven sites, containing together the remains of 35 long houses, with numerous enclosures and traces of sunken trackways, lie less than one mile of the remains of a chapel on the slopes overlooking okehampton from the southwest. The sites lie roughly along a northeast to southwest axis and parallel to the main trackway which passes through the chapel site. Subsidiary tracks, lost in places, connect the sites to each other and the main track. There are numerous springs in the vicinity. As the visible remains of the deserted sites are of stone, occupation in the 13th century, at least, is probable with a distinct possibility of a Saxon origin.

Probert, S. A. J., 2004, Okehampton Castle and Park, West Devon: Survey Report (Report - Survey). SDV324949.

Detailed report of the nine settlements in Okehampton Park, including scale plans.

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

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

Okehampton deserted Medieval settlements an interlinked range of 10 sites.

Catlin, K., 2014, Transhumance to Farmstead: Landscape and the Medieval Resettlement of Dartmoor, 6-7 (Article in Serial). SDV361730.

Inclusion of the series of settlements at Okehampton Park as an example of a group of medieval transhumance sites that became permanently settled as a source of wealth to the burgeoning medieval political economy during the first half of the 13th century. The permanent tenant farmers who occupied these sites were likely to have acted as middlemen for the Earl of Devon, who controlled the nearby Okehampton Castle at the time, funnelling cattle onto the moor and also further support the manor through agricultural activities.
The relatively short period of occupation of these sites (less than 100 years), before the land was reclaimed by the Earl for use as a deer park (around 1300) is suggested to indicate the lack of understanding of the landscape by the owner and is contrasted with the 300 year occupation of the Hound Tor site.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV3487 - 1992 Survey of Okehampton Deserted Medieval Settlements
• EDV3474 - Earthwork survey of Okehampton Castle and Park
• EDV8007 - Okehampton Camp Devon: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment and Earthwork Survey (Ref: 50171.01)
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range

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