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Summary

Boundary stone marked with the letter 'D' on Assycombe Hill. The 'D' probably denotes John Davie owner of the Fernworthy estate in the late 18th, early 19th century and the stone is probably a marking out stone and thus one of a set delineating the newtake before boundary walls were constructed.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE193
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 916289
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/342
• Pastscape: 916289

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOUNDARY STONE (Erected, XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• INSCRIBED STONE (Erected, XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(06/11/1992) A standing granite slab of rectangular section is situated in open moorland on the broad summit of Assycombe Hill. It is 1.4 metres high, 0.4 metres wide and 0.15 metres thick; part of the top has been cut at an angle. Firmly set with numerous small boulders crudely embedded around its base, it has been roughly dressed and no chisel or drill marks are obvious. It appears to be some sort of marker, but as stated by Butler its function is not obvious although it is probably of recent origin. It is not depicted on recent Ordnance Survey maps. The crude, incised letter on the south face, identified as a letter 'D' by Butler (1991), is clearly visible and is 2 millimetres deep; whether it is wholly man made or partly natural striations is not clear.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 169, Map 35, 'a' (Monograph). SDV219155.

The D Stone. A tall pillar on the summit of Assycombe Hill, 25 metres outside Fernworthy plantation. A lightly cut letter 'D' on the west face indicates a Duchy bound. However, as this stone is well within the present boundary of the forest it must have some other significance.

English Heritage, 2005, Survey Information (miscellaneous date) (Report - Survey). SDV345855.

Feature shown on survey.

English Heritage, 2013, Pastscape, 916289 (Website). SDV352645.

Single upright stone-probably recent origin. NMR No. SX68SE193. Record last updated: N/A

Newman, P., 2013, The Archaeology of Fernworthy Forest, Dartmoor, Devon, 53, 55, Fig 47 (Report - Survey). SDV351784.

SX 6645 8119 Boundary stone marked with the letter 'D' on Assacombe Hill. The 'D' probably denotes John Davie owner of the Fernworthy estate in the late 18th, early 19th century and the stone is probably a marking out stone and thus one of a set delineating the newtake before boundary walls were constructed.
NB: incorrect grid reference provided for this feature; location shown on the map (figure 47) matches location of stone recorded on Pastscape record (916289).

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Machin, N., 2021, Assycombe boundary stone (Photograph). SDV364263.

Stone photographed in 2021 and location confirmed SX 66468 81998.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6203 - Archaeological Survey of Fernworthy Forest
• EDV7389 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1996
• EDV7410 - Fernworthy Forest condition survey 1992
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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