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Summary

'Whiteslade' farmstead and 'Snaily House' shown on 19th century maps within an historic field system

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and stone walling remains of an extensive Bronze Age field system, reaves, enclosures, cairns and hut circle settlements on Riddon Ridge overlain with a medieval field system and associated enclosures and Whiteslade post-medieval farmstead

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NE1
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442448
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/46

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Early Medieval to XVI - 1066 AD (Between) to 1540 AD (Between))
• AGRICULTURAL BUILDING (Constructed, Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• FARMHOUSE (Constructed, Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Duchy of Cornwall, 1818, Map of Ancient Tenements and Newtakes of the Dartmoor Estate (Cartographic). SDV229385.

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

'Whiteslade' shown on 19th century Tithe Map as an L-shaped building with an irregular shaped enclosure adjoining to the south-east and surrounded by several small fields. The Apportionment for 'Whiteslade' lists Field Number 775 as 'Dwelling Houseand Gardens', Field Number 775a as 'Road adjoining Court' and Field Number 776 as 'Plot adjoining House and Garden'.

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

Buildings and enclosure depicted but not named.

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

Whiteslade (Snaily House) marked.

Royal Air Force, 1961, 58/4424, F42 181 (Aerial Photograph). SDV280247.

Brown, T., 1961, Tales of a Dartmoor Village (Article in Serial). SDV238060.

At the time of writing almost inaccessible ruins. Other details: 212-213.

Linehan, C. D., 1965, Deserted Sites on Dartmoor, Devon, 173 (Article in Serial). SDV217992.

Whiteslade or Snaily House, house with remains of two windows, probably originally of cross-passage type; several other buildings with enclosures; in forestry commission plantation.

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, Fig 2 (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

Whiteslade is a medieval site consisting of three buildings showing late development and associated enclosures.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, (ND) 151 (Un-published). SDV150434.

Site visit 18th May 1967. A small mortared farmhouse, with two rooms added successively, with outbuildings and enclosures. The living room contains a fireplace with two recesses at the side. Two small windows facing east with a slit to the west. Possible stackstand to the north east. Well built barn down lane to south east. Well constructed farm with 30 acres of enclosed hillside. This site appears to be a modern intake on the east side of the River Dart.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 855-6 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Snaily’s House. Remnant of a medieval farmstead with two ground floor rooms, one of which boasts a fine fireplace and cupboard recesses. Ruined outhouses situated against the north and east walls. Occupied in 1813 by George Stook, in 1839 by Reverend John White and by two elderly spinsters around 100 years ago, who were reputed to live on a diet of black slugs preserved in salt.

Jones, B., 1988, The Ancient Tenements of the Forest of Dartmoor (Report - Survey). SDV229386.

Adjoining outbuildings also well constructed and mostly form a short range against south west end of house. An ascending track leads south east from the small yard in front of the house giving access to a further service building, which measures 7 metres by 3.4 metres by maximum 3.5 metres high at gables. It has a single entrance central on south western side and two narrow windows. Surrounding field pattern quite regular, suggestive of relatively late origin.

Griffiths, D., 1990, Snaily's House, Lydford (Worksheet). SDV344877.

Low gabled building within Forestry Commission plantation. The granite rubble walls survive to approximately 2 metres in height at the northern end and there are splayed slit windows within them. The building is constructed into the valley side to the south so that the south wall acts as a revetment to the hill slope. No visible evidence for a fireplace was seen or any evidence to support Hemerey's interpretation as a longhouse. Possibly post-medieval in date. A granite slab rests against the east wall which is inscribed "SL".

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(21/10/1993) Centred SX 66087627. Whiteslade or snaily House, an abandoned post medieval farmstead on the right bank of the East Dart River 500m north of Laughter Hole House. It comprises a well constructed single roomed farmhouse with several adjoining outbuildings and another similar constructed barn 60m to the south east.
The main group of buildings lies at SX 66067628 the foot of the steep western flank of Ridden Ridge on the floodplain of the East Dart River. The house is rectangular measuring 5.7m north east to south west by 4.0m internally with coursed boulder walls 0.7m thick remaining a maximum of 2.5m high. An entrance lies centrally in the south eastern wall and a massive fireplace with lintel still in situ is located in the north eastern end. The walls are pierced by at least two windows and several cupboard niches. The adjoining outbuildings are also well constructed and mostly form a short range against the south western end of the house.
An ascending trackway leads south east from the small yard in front of the house and gives access to a further service building. Measuring 7.0m north west to south east by 3.4m this structure survives to a maximum height of 3.5m at the gables. It possesses a single entrance situated centrally in the south western side and two narrow windows.
The surrounding field pattern is quite regular, suggestive of a relatively late origin a point confirmed by the absence of any slotted gate posts, typical pre-1800 features. It was not regarded as an ancient tenement by the Duchy of Cornwall in a survey of their lands completed in 1818 (Duchy of Cornwall 1818 (3)). On this map it is simply annotated as Whiteslade Newtake held by Matthew White. The area is given as just over 24 acres. Whiteslade House fails to appear on the 1841 census returns suggesting that it was not in existence or uncompleted at that time. However by 1851 it was occupied by four agricultural labourers and in 1861 a widow is recorded as the sole occupant. It is not known when the buildings fell out of use (Jones 1899).

Gerrard, S., 1993-2010, Monument Protection Programme Alternative Action Report (Report - non-specific). SDV145710.

Considered under Monument Protection Programme but not recommended for scheduling.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Whiteslade (Snaily House) marked.

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

Whiteslade site of a lost farmstead shown on the Tithe Map. Lost farmstead 'Snaily house'.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Unknown, SX67NE1 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV229380.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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