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Summary

Dwellings date to at least the mid-late 19th century, based on cartographic evidence. Depicted on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map, the larger Woodford House was extended by the time of the revised Second Edition map (around 1905-7). According to the Ordnance Survey (1950s) a granite coffin found in a mound between Brentor and the old church is incorperated into the south-west wall of the house.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COTTAGE NON SPECIFIC (Constructed, XIX - 1850 AD? to 1880 AD (Between))

Full description

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments, Mary Tavy, Plot 19 (Cartographic). SDV359954.

Tithe Map shows a small cottage here on the site of Woodford House; unclear if any of this structure has been retained. Apportionment records it as cottage and garden.

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

Late 19th century historic map shows a pair of cottages here, smaller rectangular one to the south-west, a larger, square structure adjoining to the north-east.

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

The early 20th century historic map shows that Woodford House (north-eastern property) has been extended, almost doubling its size since the First Edition Ordnance Survey map depiction.

Cowling, J. + Worth, R. N., 1936, Archaeological Notes from the Valley of the Lyd, 304-5 (Article in Serial). SDV263052.

Between the village of Brent Tor and the old church is a field in which a mound once stood. The owner destroyed the mound and in doing so found a stone coffin of granite. He used it as a pig trough, and later as a butter chest. It was bought by Mr. Cowling for his museum at Brentor.
Internal length of the coffin is 4 feet 2 inches (1.27 metres); width varies from 15.5 inches to 20.5 inches (0.39 - 0.52 metres), depth from 13 - 15 inches (0.33 - 0.38 metres). Sides and bottom average 4 - 4.5 inches (10.1 - 11.4 centimetres) thick. Nothing appears to have been found within it but from its position in a large mound or barrow it was probably a stone coffin similar to that of Robertus de Moles, the lid of which is in Okehampton church yard and is 4 feet (1.21 metres) long and 16 inches (0.40 metres) at its widest.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX48SE3, 06/10/1950 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV263053.

(?1950) Oral information given to the Ordnance Survey from the owner of 'Woodford', Brentor states that the coffin is now cemented into the wall in what was once the museum room of her father-in-law; Mr J. Cowling (Transactions, 68, 1936). There are no remaining notes of Mr. Cowling to say where it was found; these would have been taken away by the gentleman from some London museum who called some time after his death.
Coffin of moorland granite built into the south-west wall of the house 'Woodford'. Made from moorland granite, it measures 1.3 metres long by 0.4 - 0.5 metres wide internally. Outer dimensions are 1.5 metres long by 0.6 - 0.7 metres wide and 0.37 metres deep. No further information was available regarding the site at which it was found (06/10/1950).

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Wortha Cottage and Woodford House are depicted on the modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5711 - COFFIN (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1750 AD)

Associated Events: none recorded

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