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Summary

Stanlake farmstead shown on 19th century maps and mentioned from the 13th century. Possible unfinished tin mouldstone found among farm ruins, suggests this may have been a blowing mill site. Early 16th century rimsherd also recovered from hedgebank a few metres west of main building and possible medieval body sherd from same hedge.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019586: Stanlake Farmstead, 930m south west of Black Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1019586: Stanlake Farmstead, 930m south west of Black Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1019586: Stanlake Farmstead, 930m south west of Black Tor
• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Crofts Plantation to Stanlake Plantation
• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Raddick Hill to Nun's Cross, including extensive tinning remains at Cramber Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE134
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440414
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/142
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/197
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/200
• Old SAM Ref: 24105

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (First mentioned, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))
• FINDSPOT (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

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

'Stenlake' shown on 19th century Tithe map as a group of buildings and small enclosures on an irregular shaped yard. The Apportionment for 'Stenlake' lists Field Number 878 as 'Courts Houses and Mowhay' and the four or five small enclosures listed as Field Number 879 are 'Gardens'.

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

'Stanlake' shown on 19th century map as a group of buildings and small enclosures between the Devonport Leat and the River Meavy.

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

'Stanlake' shown on early 20th century map.

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 246 (Monograph). SDV1312.

'Stanlake' was mentioned as 'Stenylak' in 1281 and 1340 and later as 'Stenelake'.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs, 2149/4440 (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Photograph taken on 11th July 1947.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 131-2 (Un-published). SDV150434.

Site visitd on 12th January 1967. A farm abandoned in 1922 and though ruined, it is in fair condition. Approached from the Yelverton-Princetown road by a sunken lane. The dwelling house has two rooms on the ground floor, with fireplace and staircase in the thickness of the wall. Several outhouses visible and others have been recently destroyed. The Devonport Leat was tapped for water supply.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Doubtful Devon Tin Mills c1450-c1750, no 48 (Un-published). SDV336693.

SX 5698 7092 Possible tin mouldstone among farm ruins, Stanlake Farm. Possible unfinished mouldstone. Blowing mill site?

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

Visible on aerial photographs.

Hemery, E., 1986, Walking the Dartmoor Waterways (Monograph). SDV269544.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1987, List of donations to the Plymouth Museum (Un-published). SDV243606.

23/01/1978 (SX 5694 7090) Stanlake - rimsherd (early 16th century) from hedgebank a few metres west of main building and possible medieval body sherd from same hedge.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152454 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Stanlake farmstead, 930 metres south-west of Black Tor. 16m by 4.4m

Newman, P., 1994, Tinners and Tenants on South-West Dartmoor: a case study in landscape history, 199-238 (Article in Serial). SDV340414.

Rendell, P., 1995, One by one they left the valley - 100 years of Burrator, 21 (Article in Serial). SDV359397.

Gerrard, S., 1997, Stanlake Farmstead, 8 (Article in Serial). SDV257268.

A comprehensive archaeological investigation and survey of Stanlake Farmstead was undertaken in 1996. All the surviving buildings are constructed of granite walling although fragments of brick and concrete in one area are likely to be from the final farmhouse - a typical 19th century dwelling that was demolished. The remaining structures within the settlement were not disturbed by the levelling of the farmhouse.The previous farmhouse is essentially intact but was probably converted to a barn when the new house was built.There are other buildings, gardens and enclosures including two longhouses, a possible 'Workers Cottage', a shippon and outshots.
Planetable survey by Gerrard in 1996 revealed a complex site with wide range of buildings and other features. All surviving buildings are of granite, though bricks and concrete in one area indicate a building constructed at least in part from these materials. This is likely to have been the final farmhouse, part of which survives as earthworks. The adjoining garden also survives. See Gerrard for full details.

Fletcher, M. J., 2007-2008, Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV359195.

(20/08/2007) Stanlake Farmstead. The impessive remains of this significant settlement site include two well-defined roofless buildings as well as a small roofless structure. The barns, the outbuildings, the yards and enclosures stand adjacant to the Devonport Leat. The granite walling stands up to 1.3m in height, mostly in grassland with some tree cover. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

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

Stenlake deserted farmstead with a longhouse.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

Stanlake farmstead shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, 1019586 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

Stanlake farmstead 930 metre south-west of Black Tor. The monument includes an historic farmstead situated on a gentle east facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Meavy. The earliest components of the site are two longhouses built across the prevailing slope. Both survive as rectangular earthworks to which later structures have been added. The northern longhouse sits within a substantial scoop and measures 14.5 metres long by 4.3 metres wide. A later outbuilding of drystone construction occupies the western half of this longhouse. The southern longhouse measures 16 metres by 4.4 metres and at its western end are two clearly defined recesses which represent cupboards. Two rectangular earthworks on the southern side of the building and another to the east probably represent outshuts. The two longhouses were replaced by two other dwelling houses in the early Post-medieval period. The eastern of these survives as a rectangular structure measuring 8.6 metres by 4.4 metres internally and is defined by drystone walls standing up to 1.9 metres high. The presence of a round stairwell built within the north-west corner and a substantial fireplace within the western wall confirm its domestic status. The interior of this building is filled with loose rubble, but appears to be on two separate levels. The western part of the building lies on a platform above the remainder of the interior. The edge between the parts is denoted by a 0.6 metres high drystone revetment which leads to the western edge of the doorway. It is not known whether this revetment represents an original division or whether it was added when the building was later converted to a barn. The doorway into this house faces south and had a porch or wind break. The second early Post-medieval dwelling measures 7.8 metres by 4.6 metres and is defined by a drystone wall standing up to 1.4 metres high. A fireplace built into the western wall survives as a 0.9 metres wide and 0.65 metres deep recess denoted on the northern side by a substantial 0.8 metres high orthostat. Both of the early Post-medieval farmhouses were replaced by a more substantial building of 19th century date. This building was levelled sometime between 1952 and 1967, although slight earthworks still denote its position. A range of small buildings survive within the farmstead and these represent the sites of barns and sheds of Post-medieval date. Towards the eastern edge of the farmstead are a group of at least seven upright stones. These are staddle stones on top of which a hay rick would have been built. The stones were designed to keep the hay or straw off the ground, keeping it dry and reducing the opportunities for rodents to infest it. At least eight enclosed yards or gardens survive within the farmstead. Some of these are denoted by substantial banks, clearly designed to control livestock. A leat leading from the nearby Devonport Leat would have supplied water to the settlement through much of the 19th century. In earlier times water may have been collected from the nearby stream. The earliest documentary reference to Stanlake is in 1281 and from this time onwards there are numerous references up until the 1920s when the settlement was abandoned. The documentation indicates that for much of this time there were two separate farms with different land holdings sharing the same farmstead.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV2483 - MOULDSTONE (XI to Unknown - 1066 AD)
• FDV4015 - POT (XI to Unknown - 1066 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV7519 - Survey of Stanlake Farmstead
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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