See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

The Abbots Way. Alleged route of monks between Tavistock and Buckfast Abbeys, across the southern moor. First named as such in the late 18th century, Hemery and Worth doubt the route and suggest alternatives. Also known by the moormen (and recorded by Crossing) as 'Jobblers or Jobbers' Path'; indicating a route used by yarn-jobbers to cross the moor.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of the early 20th century China Clay works at Redlake Mine and the associated railway, as well as prehistoric remains on Ugborough Moor
• SHINE: Structural and earthwork remains of Medieval or later tin streamworks on the River Erme and its tributaries, Blacklane Brook, Dry Lake and Red Lake, as well as blowing houses and tinners buildings and possible prehistoric enclosures at Wollake
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of tin streaming and trial pits at Wheal Katherine Mine
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworks on the tributary streams of the Nun's Cross Brook, tinners pits, openworks and buildings
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later tin pits south of Foxtor Mire
• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains on Walkhampton Common including 19th century Swelltor and Foggintor Quarries, a section of the early 19th century Plymouth and Dartmoor Tramway, later converted to railway, also streamworks along the Yes Tor Brook
• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Raddick Hill to Nun's Cross, including extensive tinning remains at Cramber Tor
• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Nun's Cross to Princetown including extensive tinning remains at Whiteworks Tin Mine

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: Linear 121
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1043872
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/1
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TRACKWAY (Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 35, 71, 75, 104, 134, 141, 365, 373, 375, 377, 418, 433 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Description of various sections of the path. Crossing comments that he had always known the name of this route described by moormen as 'Jobblers' or Jobbers' Path', likely to be from its use by yarn-jobbers in former days.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 4275 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

(Ugborough section).

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 395-6 (Monograph). SDV337618.

Worth questions when the 'Abbot's Way' gained its name and why the alleged course from Buckfast to Nun's Cross is unmarked by crosses (excepting Huntingdon Cross, by Wallabrook Foot). Also it is not the most convenient route to choose; Worth believes that if the Abbot of Buckfast had sponsered a route it would have been via Holne across Holne Ridge to Horns Cross, then over Horse Ford on the O Brook to the two crosses on Down Ridge, and so to the cross on Ter Hill, continuing by way of Mount Misery (where there is still one cross; formerly two), passing on to Childe's Tomb, also formerly marked by a cross, then to a cross set on a boulder to the west of Fox Tor Mire, and so to Nuns or Siwards Cross.
From this last point, the only course affectively marked by crosses runs westwards and Worth notes the crosses that may have marked the path.

Gaskell-Brown, C. + Hankin, C., 1974 -1978, Ugborough Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV161354.

The old moorland path known as the 'Abbot's Way' passes through Ugborough parish for about 700 yards, from the Harford boundary in the north-west at Red Lake, to where the path meet the Zeal Tor tramway track at a point known as 'The Crossways'. The Ugborough boundary follows this path. SX 6431 6638 to SX 6500 6587. The path is seen as a shallow depression, grass covered, its width varying with the nature of the ground. It crosses the clay works rail track where there is the ruin of a stone and brick building on the north side of the of the rail track.
John Andrews, 1799, refers to the path as 'Jobbers Cawse', using the name 'Abbot's Way' as an 'after thought' (citing R. H. Worth, 'Dartmoor', 1788-1808).

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 12 (Monograph). SDV249702.

In agreement with Worth, Hemery considers 'Abbot's Way' to be a spurious label attached to a southerly trans-Dartmoor route, first occuring in an account by a traveller named John Andrews in 1794, two and a half centuries after the dissolution of the monasteries. He agrees with Worth that there are far easier routes (that also include more crosses) that would have been a more likely monks route across the moor and theorises that Crossing's mention of it's name being Jobblers' or Jobbers' Path may well be more accurate; a route used by yarn-tradesmen to cross the moor.

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

(Section in Ugborough) 'Abbot's Way', the old moorland path, passes through Ugborough parish for about 823 metres from the Harford boundary in the north-west at Red Lake, to where the path meets the Zeal Tor tramway track at a point known as 'The Crossways'. The parish boundary follows this path. The path is seen as a shallow depression, grass-covered, its width varying with the nature of the ground. It crosses the clay works rail track where there is the ruin of a stone and brick building on the n side of the railroad.
This path was referred to as 'Jobbers Cawse' by John Andrews in 1799.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Digital Colour Raster Map (Cartographic). SDV319717.

The modern Ordnance Survey maps depict 'Abbot's Way' and this has been used to digitise against. It should be noted however, that the actual route may vary; see Worth and Hemery's comments (Richards, A. F.).

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

Perrin, R., 2016, Ugborough Parish Heritage Appraisal Second Edition, UG 605 (Report - Assessment). SDV360390.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 28/06/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

Ancient trackway from Buckfast to Tavistock, also known as the Jobbers or Jobblers Track, a reference to the movement of woollen yarn across the moor. The alleged Southern route crosses many rivers at potentially dangerous place, and is dismissed by Hemery as a fiction. The Northern route is marked by many wayside crosses, and is the more probable route. SX 4835 7437 to SX 7408 6733. Abbots Way - ancient trackway. For full details see Linear archive. (No Source recorded for this record).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6239 - Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine
• EDV7375 - Archaeological recording during construction of the Dousland to Rundlestone water main (Ref: 94.40)
• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley
• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8628 - Tor Royal Farm Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8629 - Peat Cot Farm Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8711 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8862 - Survey of archaeological sites on SWLT land in the Burrator catchment
• EDV8863 - Survey of archaeological sites on SWLT land in the Burrator catchment
• EDV8965 - Aerial survey of guardianship sites on Dartmoor

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.