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Summary

Ancient track leading from Fatherford on the East Okement south-west onto East Hill as far as Klondyke Corner, mostly taking the form of a sunken lane, lined with beeches on top of the hedge on its north side. Continues westwards through Okehampton Park towards Meldon. Marked on the historic maps as 'Roman Road' in places.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX59SE8
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440864
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX59SE/45
• Pastscape: 440864

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) ROAD (Roman - 43 AD (Between) to 409 AD (Between))
• HOLLOW WAY (Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Ancient Trackway (Site of)' shown on early 20th century map.

Young, E. H., 1932, Okehampton (Monograph). SDV227286.

The very old trackway that crosses the border of the moor from Fatherford (SX 610954) to Saxongate (SX 58259335) and on towards Meldon (SX 560924) has nothing to justify the name 'Roman Way' except the discovery of coins in 1897 (SX 59 SE 1). Saxongate may have referred to the pathway used from Saxon times.
The 'ancient trackway' described on the Ordnance Survey 6 inch map is not a Roman road.

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

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs, 4196-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, F20 4196, 4197 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Visible on air photographs.

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

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, 125-7 (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

An ancient track runs from Fatherford on the East Okement river south-west towards Meldon. The track which is sunken in parts is blocked in places by large 19th century hedge banks. Several tracks lead off from this main track.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1974, SX59SE8 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV214652.

(23/10/1974) The hollow way ('ancient trackway') extends for 2.5kms through the area of the ?13th century settlement (SX 59 SE 2). Minor hollow ways connect this route to the scattered groups of longhouses and their associated fields.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1978, Archaeological Sites within Okehampton Park and its Vicinity (Un-published). SDV233126.

Ancient track leading from Fatherford on the East Okement south westwards onto East Hill as far as Klondyke Corner. It mostly takes the form of a sunken lane, lined with beeches on top of the hedge on its north side. This is bridleway 11.

King, A. C., 1979, A30 Okehampton Bypass: Final Report, No 49 (Report - Survey). SDV343861.

Track from Fatherford to East Hill, runs from SX59389398 to SX60309470.

Timms, S., 1983, Okehampton Trackway (Worksheet). SDV257208.

Worksheet gives terminal points of trackway. The 1906-07 Ordnance Survey map marks "Ancient Trackway" running from NGR SX59009352 south-westwards through Okehampton Park into what is now Meldon quarry.

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

Embanked road visible on aerial photograph.

Wessex Archaeology, 2001, Okehampton Camp Devon. Archaeological Desk Based Assessment and Earthwork Survey (Report - Survey). SDV360511.

Wessex Archaeology, 2001, Okehampton Camp Devon. Archaeological Desk Based Assessment and Earthwork Survey, 10, Appendix 1 (Report - Survey). SDV360511.

Medieval holloway or sunken trackway which crosses the moor from Fatherford to Saxongate. It is one of a number of tracks which connects individual farmsteads and Okehampton itself. It was once thought to be a Roman road.

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

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Parts of track shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV3474 - Earthwork survey of Okehampton Castle and Park
• EDV8007 - Okehampton Camp Devon: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment and Earthwork Survey (Ref: 50171.01)

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