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HER Number:MDV70969
Name:Corn-drying barn 3, Houndtor

Summary

One of three barns for drying crops at Houndtor believed to have been later additions in response to worsening weather conditions. A substantial structure with a large platform at the south-western end to house a kiln and oven. Less well-preserved than barns 1 and 2.

Location

Grid Reference:SX 746 788
Map Sheet:SX77NW
Admin AreaDartmoor National Park
Civil ParishManaton
DistrictTeignbridge
Ecclesiastical ParishMANATON

Protected Status

Other References/Statuses

  • Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NW/7/12
  • Old SAM County Ref: 601
  • Old SAM Ref Revised: 28786

Monument Type(s) and Dates

  • BARN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Minter, E. M., 1972 - 1973, Eleven Years of Archaeological Work on Dartmoor, 114-116 (Article in Serial). SDV307263.

On the north side of the village were corn-drying barns, with large stone platforms at the upper ends of the structures to accommodate two circular kilns entered at floor level by separate flues.


Beresford, G., 1979, Three Deserted Medieval Settlements on Dartmoor: a Report on the Late E. Marie Minter's Excavations, 142 (Article in Serial). SDV307264.

Corn-drying barns 1-3 at Houndtor were well preserved and are associated with the last structural period of settlement (around 1250-1350), although the date of construction cannot be dated more precisely. The driers were substantial structures housed within a raised platform faced with stone and packed with rubble and growan, spanning the width of the building, 12 foot wide, 8 foot deep and around 4 foot high. Originally there were two kilns per platform, but at a later date all the kilns on the right hand side of the driers were filled in and replaced with high level ovens. The vertical sides of the kilns, 4 foot in diameter, had no paved floors and showed little signs of burning. They were heated by way of a straight-sided flue, 2 foot long by 1 foot, 6 inches, the entrance of which and the surrounding ground were burnt by firing. The sides of the ovens were more severely burnt. No evidence remained to indicate what the floors of the barns were like, or what kind of roofs they possessed.
Charred grains of oats were found among the ash samples collected from barn 3, but it was not possible to identify the type.


Newman, P. + Probert, S. + Riley, H., 1994, Houndtor Down, Manaton, Devon - A New Survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England., 5 (Report - Survey). SDV344628.

The three corn drying barns on the Hound Tor settlement are all located on the northern side of the site, with single entrances on the south side, although this is only seen clearly in barn 1. The structures are constructed of stone, in a style similar to that of the associated dwellings and are roughly rectangular in shape. Barns 1 and 3 have curved south-western end walls, but this may be the result of erosion or post-excavation disturbance. Each barn contains a grain dryer at the south-western end, housed in a raised platform. Barn 3 is the northernmost building on the settlement and is similar in plan to barn 1, measuring approximately 8.4 meters by 3.6 meters internally, although vegetation and disturbance have partially destroyed the structure; the north-eastern wall has been largely destroyed and the grain-drying area has been obscured. The openings at the base of the platform for the oven and kiln are still visible however.


Dartmoor National Park + English Heritage, 2002, Houndtor: Deserted Medieval Settlement, 8-11 (Leaflet). SDV295904.

Barn 3 is aligned south-west to north-east and is a coursed stone rubble corn-drying barn measuring approximately 7.5 meters by 4.5 meters and is the northernmost structure of the settlement. The building had an oven and kiln at the south-western end for drying crops.


Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.


Various, 2018-2019, PALs Condition Recording forms, HT6 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 30/06/2019. Evidence of bracken gorse and fern. There are a couple of hawthorn saplings which will cause damage if left. Overall good condition . Photos X 2 taken.


Various, 2018-2019, PALs Condition Recording photographs, HT6 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Visited 30/06/2019 Photos X 2 taken 1) looking along the barn north east to south west 2) a close up of the kilns

Sources / Further Reading

SDV295904Leaflet: Dartmoor National Park + English Heritage. 2002. Houndtor: Deserted Medieval Settlement. A5 Stapled. 8-11.
SDV307263Article in Serial: Minter, E. M.. 1972 - 1973. Eleven Years of Archaeological Work on Dartmoor. Transactions of the Torquay Natural History Society. 16. Unknown. 114-116.
SDV307264Article in Serial: Beresford, G.. 1979. Three Deserted Medieval Settlements on Dartmoor: a Report on the Late E. Marie Minter's Excavations. Medieval Archaeology. 23. Unknown. 142.
SDV344030Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2010. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #99569 ]
SDV344628Report - Survey: Newman, P. + Probert, S. + Riley, H.. 1994. Houndtor Down, Manaton, Devon - A New Survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England.. Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England Report. A4 Spiral Bound. 5.
SDV362781Worksheet: Various. 2018-2019. PALs Condition Recording forms. PALs Condition Assessment Project Forms. Digital. HT6.
SDV363073Photograph: Various. 2018-2019. PALs Condition Recording photographs. PALs Condition Assessment Project Forms. Digital. HT6.

Associated Monuments

MDV7414Part of: Deserted Medieval Settlement at Hound Tor (Monument)

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded


Date Last Edited:Jul 29 2019 11:01AM