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Summary

On site of a earlier fulling mill noted in the early 16th century. Backaller Hotel, formerly a farmhouse built in the late 18th/early 19th century, altered in the 20th century. According to documentary sources it appears to have originated as a woollen mill (in 18th century), later converted into a grain mill, which may explain unusual layout (for a Devon farmhouse).

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1097193: BLACKALLER HOTEL

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX78SW70
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 898351
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SW/60
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 85118

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WOOLLEN MILL (First mentioned, XV to XVI - 1500 AD? (Between) to 1527 AD (Between))
• CORN MILL (First mentioned, XVI to XVII - 1600 AD (Between) to 1699 AD (Between))
• FARMHOUSE (Constructed, XVIII to XIX - 1767 AD (Between) to 1832 AD (Between))
• WOOLLEN MILL (XVIII to XIX - 1767 AD (Between) to 1832 AD (Between))
• FARM BUILDING (XIX to Unknown - 1833 AD (Post))
• HOTEL (XIX to Late 20th Century - 1900 AD (Between) to 1987 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Building shown on 19th century Tithe Map. The Apportionment for 'Blackaller' lists Field Number 364 as 'House and Courtlage' and Field Number 366 as 'Garden'.

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

'Blackaller' shown on 19th century map as a long group of four adjoining buildings with another building to the west and a leat to the west running into the River Bovey at 'Bovey Bridge'.

Harris, H., 1968, Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor, 211 (Monograph). SDV149229.

At Blackaller Farm, part of the buildings now used for agricultural purposes were once a woollen mill. Opposite this is a circular ash-house.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 39.67 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

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

Blackaller was shown on the 19th century Tithe Map as a mill with 12 acres.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Building shown on modern mapping.

Bodman, M., 2015, Mills on the Teign. A gazetteer of water-powered sites on the Teign and Bovey and their tributaries, 96 (Monograph). SDV360401.

Blackaller Mills, North Bovey SX 7373 8383. Tin blowing mill noted in 1527 in a lease document, located on the south side of a fulling mill. Mill owners from the 18th century noted. Appears to have been a grain mill in the 18th century, then converted into a woollen mill. Ceased operating in 1839; later worked as a farm.

English Heritage, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV357602.

Backaller Hotel, formerly a farmhouse built in the late 18th/early 19th century, altered in the 20th century.
Rendered granite rubble walls. Dressed stone voussoir arch into outbuilding section of house. Slate roof with gable ends and overhanging eaves supported on brackets. Adjoining the house to the left end, in the same line, as an integral part of the building is a stable and coach house or barn. The left-hand part of the house has two main rooms either side of a central stair hall, both were probably originally heated. To the right end is the service/kitchen quarters. Single depth throughout. Left-hand of outbuilding converted to flat. Two storeys.
The house section has a symmetrical 3-window front to the left with central doorway. Windows are 12-pane sashes with horns on first floor and 16-pane sashes with horns on ground floor, probably mid 19th century replicas. 4-panelled 19th century door. Further one window section to the right at an irregular distance with 16-pane ground floor window and 2-light 4-pane sash above on first floor. The outbuilding section to the left has an asymmetrical 3-window front. First floor left-hand window is 16- pane sash the other two have 12 panes. Between them on the ground floor is a tally carriage doorway with segmental dressed voussoir stone arch with projecting keystone and round window above stable doorway to right and left of double doorway with tethering ring in between. To far left on the ground floor is a wider doorway. To right-hand gable end on first floor is a probably original semi-circular headed window with brick surround. Attached at left gable end is a row of early 19th century pighouses.
Interior contains early 19th century staircase with turned newels and stick balusters. Panelled shutters to windows of the two main ground floor rooms. Open fireplace with plain wooden lintel in kitchen. Running in front of the house parallel to it is a leat which subsequently joins the parallel stream. This possibly supports the reputation that this building was originally an old woollen factory.
This building has an unusual plan form more akin to a type of farmhouse found in Northern England than to the typical Devon farmhouse of its period, although its possible industrial purpose may have influenced this. Whilst recent changes in use and alterations have modified the plan form the facade of the house remains relatively unchanged and reflects the original layout of the house.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 18/06/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

South West Textiles Mill Project Number 377

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8699 - RCHME South West Textile Mills Project (Ref: RCH01/063)

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