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Summary

Mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Sotebrook', and later (in connection with Torre Abbey) as 'Suthbrok'. The farm was sub-divided into separate tenements in former times. But during the early 19th century, the farm was unified as a single property. Depicted on the Tithe Map, it was altered in the mid-late 19th century and the layout has remained largely similar.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77SW/306/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (X to XI - 901 AD? to 1086 AD (Between))

Full description

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

South Brook is shown on the Tithe Map, on both sides of the road. Layout consists of Four main buildings clustered at the centre of the farm, all rectangular and all but one aligned east-west. A small structure lies just to the north and another rectangular structure is set further south, in an isolated position. 1 on athe apportionment; owned by Sir John Leman Rogers Baronet, Robert Hurrell Troute Reverent and Henry Karslake, occupied by Edward Smerdon.

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

By the later 19th century, the farm has developed and several buildings have been added/altered. The house has been extended, as has the isolated barn to the south (including the addition of a large semi-circular horse engine house to the north-east side), while a new building has been added parallel to the house and some alterations have taken place to the buildings to the east, one of which is marked as a school.

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1932, The Place-Names of Devon: Part Two, 525 (Monograph). SDV337894.

Southbrook appears again in Torre Abbey cartulary which is held at the public record office. This entry is circa 1200 and the name is spelt 'Suthbrok'.

Seymour, D. J., 1977, Torre Abbey. An Account of its History, Buildings, Cartularies and Lands, 130 (Monograph). SDV340436.

Southbrook was the site for the former courthouse of the Manor of Buckland.

Belsey, P. M., 1983 - 1987, Buckland In The Moor Parish Checklist (Un-published). SDV345904.

The first mention of Southbrook Farm is in the Domesday Book where it states that Mortain holds Sotebrook from Ordulf and goes on to describe land and people there.
Various documents held at the Devon Record Office i.e. leases, grants, letters refer to Southbrook throughout the Middle Ages. (Full details are given on worksheet). It is, as its name implies, south of the stream and this site has been mentioned in documents since the 13th century.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 1993 - 1997, Dartmoor National Park Authority Farmstead Survey 1993-1997 (Report - Survey). SDV344544.

Farmstead included in survey. Visited on 27/02/1995.

Brown, M., 1996, A guide to the Parish of Buckland-in-the-Moor, 19 (Monograph). SDV361770.

Southbrook, like Bowden was sub-divided into separate tenements in former times. Smerdons (originating from Elliott's Hill Farm) were tenants here for three or four successive generations. During the early 19th century, the farm was unified as a single property.
There was a school at Southbrook in the 19th century; in 1880 12 children attended.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Modern map shows most of the buildings have been converted into dwellings.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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