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Summary

Tordown farm was probably formerly a small hamlet containing two three-unit farmhouses whose combined landholding amounted to around 60 acres. It has been suggested (2019) that the hamlet may have late Medieval origins.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Dartmoor Non-designated Heritage Asset (Evidential): 11/10/2019
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SW/252

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HAMLET (Founded, Late Medieval - 1401 AD? to 1539 AD (Between))
• FARMSTEAD (Built, XVII - 1650 AD to 1699 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Tordown settlement shown on the late 19th century (1880) historic map.

Henderson, C. G + Sage, A. J. + Sage, S. A., 1996, Archaeological Survey of a Ruined House at Tor Down, Belstone, 1995 (Report - Survey). SDV350267.

Tordown. Tordown farm was probably formerly a small hamlet containing two three-unit farmhouses whose combined landholding amounted to around 60 acres. It is not possible to date either Tor Down House or the ruined house (see subsheets) with any precision. Comparison with farmhouses recorded in the Roadford Reservoir area, however, would suggest a date centring on the later 17th century.

Bridgewater, R., 2002, Details of two Belstone sites (Correspondence). SDV272104.

(08/11/2002) Tordown house had smoke blackened beams in the roof. There was a ruined building in front of it and the remains of a longhouse in the garden.

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

Included on list. No further detail provided.

Metcalfe, D. J., 2019, Heritage and Design Statement. Tor Down House, Belstone (Report - Assessment). SDV363895.

Bray, L., 2019, Tordown Hamlet, Belstone (Un-published). SDV363894.

(11/10/2019) Architectural dating of Tor Down House (MDV33460), a longhouse within Tor Down hamlet indicates its construction falls within the 16th century although it is possible that it and the hamlet have their origins earlier, in the late medieval period (citing Metcalfe, 2019). From an archaeological perspective the site possesses evidential value due the potential presence of buried heritage assets with no current surface expression. Additionally, Tor Down possesses historical value due to its demonstration of the evolving needs and lifestyles of Dartmoor’s inhabitants both through the architectural and, potentially the buried archaeology of the site. For these reasons, the hamlet of which it is considered an undesignated heritage asset.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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