| Summary: | The investigated area of this apparently undeveloped parallel reave system has for the purposes of this survey been limited to that part within the parish of Lydford, and for its E and NE extremities lying in Chagford parish. This area covers some 280ha of enclosed and unenclosed moorland with approximately 150ha of improved land on the W fringes. The boundaries of this system are not well-defined. The W extremity would appear to follow the East Dart River, the N edge is probably formed by the northernmost reave (surveyed during the field investigation). On the S and E no boundary is apparent. The main elements of this system are several parallel stony banks or axial reaves, which are on average 1.8m wide and 0.4m high, and are at intervals of between 120m and 250m apart. They are first visible running east from the left bank of the East Dart River, N of Hartland Tor. On crossing the Hartland and Stannon Brooks they alter course to the NE. Three distinct axial reaves and several shorter transverse reaves are visible ascending the western flank of Merripit Hill. The former are equally spaced and 275m apart. Only one of the 3 axial reaves, the northernmost, is discernible on the E side of Merripit Hill, the others being lost in peat and valley bogs. All 3 can be seen again climbing the W flanks of Water Hill and Assycombe Hill and they apparently terminate at or on the projected line of a transverse reave linking the 2 hilltops. Roughly midway between Water Hill and Assycombe Hill a single well-defined axial reave runs approximately 700m NE from the projected line of the transverse reave before leaving the investigated area. A shorter section of a less well preserved reave lies parallel and 220m to the N. With the exeption of its W end the system appears not to have been very well developed. There is no trace of the extensive infilling between the axial reaves as is so obvious on other systems. Only 2 settlements, which lie in the developed W part of the system, can be seen to be directly associated with the reaves. Other huts lie in open ground and are not physically attached to the parallel system. A total of eight cairns also lie within though they are apparently not connected to the reaves. For a detailed 1:2500 survey of the eastern, unenclosed part of the system see RCHME Statts Brook Survey (RCHME 1992). The enclosed land at the W edge of the system was surveyed during the RCHME Duchy Farms Project (see Middle Merripit and Greyhound Farm Plans: archived at the National Monuments Record, Swindon). |
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