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Summary

The majority of the cultivated areas around Prince Hall Farm probably date from the improvements of the mid-19th century; doubtful that any ridge and furrow in the Medieval tenement would have survived the widespread and intensive afforestation and arable farming of this period.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SW150
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 907374
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SW/182

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• RIDGE AND FURROW (Constructed, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1899 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 4428 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

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

The most prominent feature of this field system is the ridge and furrow concentrated around SX 62867463 and SX 62757415. The field system is walled, and appears to be in current agricultural use, although its origins may be medieval. It is hard to see where the field system actually merges into modern farmland, but its approximate extent is between SX 62757469, SX 63037452, and SX 62687393.

Harris, H., 1986, Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor (Revised Edition), 147, 152 (Monograph). SDV295019.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(04/01/1988) The best preserved and very well defined area of ridge and furrow cultivation in the enclosed land at Prince Hall occupies 4.5 hectares of the west-facing slopes centred at SX 62777417 and SX 62667406. Here the straight ridges are 3.5m wide and 0.2m to 0.3m high with a prominent 3.5m headland on the uphill side. The downhill side is now delimited by a metalled road.
Vestiges of ploughed down cultivation ridges are evident in many of the enclosed pasture fields on the farm notably centred at SX 62877415 and SX 62157410 where the ridges are about 1.5m wide and up to 0.1m high.
Well defined cultivation ridges the south and north-facing slopes of enclosed rough pasture to the NE of the farm buildings at SX 62857463 and SX 62927449 may also be part of the extensive cultivation scheme. Here the ridges are 2.5m to 3.0m wide and 0.1m to 0.3m high although much damage has been caused by desultory stone digging visible as shallow stone pits.
The majority of these cultivated areas probably date from the improvements of the mid - 19th century and it seems very doubtful that any ridge and furrow in the medieval tenement would have survived the widespread and intensive afforestation and arable farming of this period.
Land was enclosed at Prince Hall by a Mr Gullett, one of the earliest pioneers of the "improvers" who were supported by an Act of Parliament of 1822 and by a grant from the Duchy of Cornwall. He constructed farm buildings on the site of an ancient tenement which dated from the 13th or 14th century.
In 1846 a Mr G Fowler lavished vast sums of money upon the place and succeeded in raising some excellent crops including enormous turnips but he eventually laid the ground down to grass.

Gerrard, S., 1993-2010, Monument Protection Programme Alternative Action Report (Report - non-specific). SDV145710.

(-/-/2002) Considered under MPP but not recommended for scheduling because the ridge + furrow is of 19th century date.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8639 - Princehall Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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