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Summary

Broom Park, the ancient 'Brim Park', is one the of three tenements of Sherberton. There are basically two buildings, one and outhouse and the other the longhouse, of this the lower shippon end has a gable window as well as an inner one which presumably looked onto the central passage of the house. The abandoned and ruined farmstead lies along the contour of a NW hillslope just above the floodplain of the West Dart River. The main block is sub-divided into two parts with further internal sub-divisions and there is an outbuilding to the SW and a roofed, in-use, barn to the NE.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Structural remains of the deserted medieval farmstead of Broom Park, Sherberton

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SW63
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443428
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/31

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (Built, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)
• FARMSTEAD (Constructed, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV235903.

Aph=raf 58/4424. F43.179/25 may 1961/547.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV235905.

Aph=6876/1.018 (cited by fox, location/source unknown).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV235907.

Wilkinson, f/western morning news/(8/7/1968)/man's imprint on moor.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 4426 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

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

Broom park or brim park. Building, divided up into four parts, two of which appear to have been a dwelling; another small building near a barn still in use. Close to the west dart. This is one of the sherberton ancient tenements. House length 33.5m, altitude 300m.

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

Listed as a deserted site comprising two buildings. Both showing late development, with enclosures still in use.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 7 (Un-published). SDV150434.

(25/07/1968) House and outhouses lie in a long row. Modern barn with loft is still in use. Mentioned in a lease of 1598.

Fox, A., 1969, Swincombe Survey, 22 (Report - Survey). SDV250998.

(Estimated 1968) Occupied until c.1840. House of mortared granite, of two rooms, with adjoining drystone building. Interesting example of traditional linear layout. Field system visible on air photograph.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX67SW63 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV235901.

(02/02/1980) The building is as described by Haynes with roughly dressed walling 0.7m. thick and up to 2.2m. high. (see ground photograph). Two rooms have obvious fireplaces; the larger also has a porch, and both probably represent the dwelling house (see plan). The general configuration of the building suggests it is of an early date but there is no cut stone or other dateable features.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:2500 for AO Records.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 466 (Monograph). SDV249702.

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

Remains of a deserted building and field system visible and recorded.

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

(01/04/1988) Broom Park, the ancient 'Brim Park', is one the of three tenements of Sherberton. There are basically two buildings, one and outhouse and the other the longhouse, of this the lower shippon end has a gable window as well as an inner one which presumably looked onto the central passage of the house. The upper domestic end is divided into two rooms, each having a fireplace of which the jambs in the smaller one are still erect. The fallen fireplace lintel in the large room is visible and there is an east window. Slotted jambs in the entrance doorway and the use of course mortar suggest perhaps a C16th rebuild of an earlier house. Internal steps and a doorway give access to the steep bank outside. An adjacent building on the north side has no mortar and appears to be original; it contains two small windows and a cupboard recess.
In 1598 landowner John Fitz leased 'two closes and a meadow containing 12 acres..... on which he is building a house'.
The farm court which appears to be paved is approached by a raised track. The enclosure walls show the work of the Medieval to C18th periods and together with certain features of the buildings gives evidence of an earlier date than Fitz lease. Brim Park Ford in front of the farm is shown on Greenmeadows Map (Hemery, 1983).
Broom Park is depicted as two buildings on an early C19th Duchy map but no enclosures are shown (Map of Freeholds and Early Enclosures on Dartmoor 1805-1818, W Shillibeer).
Brim Park farmstead is depicted on the Tithe Map as a linear group of four buildings and 17 acres. The dwelling is centred at SX 64357390, a ruined building of approximately similar dimensions lies to the NE and an outbuilding is shown to the SW. The barn is at SX 64387392. The 2.5 acre sub-triangular field at the rear and the track and yard to the front are also depicted (Lydford Tithe Map).
The farmstead was deserted by 1889 (OS 1/2500 map dated 1889).
The abandoned and ruined farmstead lies along the contour of a NW hillslope just above the floodplain of the West Dart River at 290m O.D.
The main block is sub-divided into two parts with further internal sub-divisions and there is an outbuilding to the SW and a roofed, in-use, barn to the NE. The well constructed coursed walls of the dwelling stand to a height of 2.3m although part of the rear wall has been rebuilt; tumbled material obscures much of the floor. A fireplace is visible in each room, one has large granite slabs in situ. There is a well-defined porch on the NW side and a small window-light in the SE wall; the internal steps were not identified. The NE part of the main block, shown as a ruin on the Tithe map, was probably sub-divided and measures c.13.5m by 4.5m internally with coursed walls up to 1.8m high in places; part of the NW walls is effaced. A pair of small, splayed window lights and a small recess are set in the wall. The outbuilding to the SW is 7.3m by 3.4m internally with 2.1m high coursed walls. The doorway is set in the NE and a small window light is in the NW wall. A stone ledge visible along the length of the W wall is 0.8m wide and 0.1m high.
The extent of the original holding is difficult to ascertain. The rectangular field and open area of moorland to the SW are under rough grazing although there are traces of narrow cultivation on higher ground centred at SX 64357368.
(There is no direct evidence to support Hemery's view (1983) that this was an ancient tenement of Sherberton, but it seems reasonable, and the house of 1598 could have been a rebuild).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8632 - Sherberton Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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