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Summary

Standing remains of a farmstead at Middleworth, which was occupied from the late 13th century through to about the 1920s. The remains are of a range of buildings thought to date to the mid-late 19th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020236: Middleworth farmstead, 450m south east of Norsworthy Bridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE310
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1395058
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/129
• Old SAM Ref: 22394(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (XIII to Early 20th Century - 1280 AD to 1929 AD (Between))
• FARMSTEAD (XIII to Early 20th Century - 1280 AD to 1929 AD (Between))
• OUTBUILDING (XIII to Early 20th Century - 1280 AD to 1929 AD (Between))
• PADDOCK (XIII to Early 20th Century - 1280 AD to 1929 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Middleworth is depicted on the Tithe Map: plot numbers 1048, 1076. Row of at least five buildings aligned roughly north-south, the central of which appears to have a horse-engine house on the western side.

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

The late 19th century historic map shows changes to the layout of the farm, primarily that the main buildings are now east-west aligned, and are presumably replacements. Farmstead occupies a smaller area than shown on the Tithe Map.

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

Much the same as the late 19th century historic map.

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 245 (Monograph). SDV1312.

Documented in 1281, 1303 and 1375.

Copeland, G. W., 1952, Twenty-First Annual Report of the Plymouth and District Branch, 330 (Article in Serial). SDV237178.

Middleworth Farm. Now abandoned.

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 83, 84, 25/11/1966 (Un-published). SDV150434.

The farmhouse is knocked down and so damaged that it is difficult to reconstruct but shippen still stands to full height. As part of the process of implementing management policies for sites around Burrator Reservoir, the ruins of a late 19th century granite barn at Middle-worth were consolidated. Barn is only surviving structure of what was once a complex of farm buildings first documented in 1281.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1979, Devon Studies Week - notes for afternoon excursion, 12/7/1979 (Un-published). SDV250522.

Earliest known reference to Middleworth from 1281. The site was occupied by a tinner called Windyeat in 1611 (links between farming and mining community).

Greeves, T. A. P., 1979, South West Water Authority Burrator Survey, No.33/ plans in SMR (Report - non-specific). SDV278356.

Range of abandoned farm buildings probably medieval in origin. Barn has date stone "ML 1885". Abandoned around 1922 according to R. G. Haynes who planned the site on 25/11/1966.

Conservation Section, 1979-1980, Middleworth Farm (Photograph). SDV250516.

Series of images of the farm.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 1981, Unknown title, 12 (Article in Serial). SDV250515.

Site is beside a well used track leading to the moor.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152998, 16/6/2000 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Middleworth Farmstead, 415 metres south-east of Norsworthy Bridge.

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

Middleworth is included on list. No further information provided.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Some remnants of the farmstead are depicted on the modern mapping, but the full extent is better illustrated by the schueduled area.

English Heritage, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV357602.

The monument includes a farmstead situated on a south facing terrace at Middleworth overlooking the Narrator Brook. The farmstead survives as a series of drystone walls denoting the position of the farmhouse and a range of outbuildings and paddocks. At the eastern end of the complex a barn remains standing to its original height, but all the other buildings have lost their upper levels. The farmhouse survives as a rectangular building with drystone walls standing up to 1.7m high in which at least two window openings are visible. The interior of this structure measures 8.6m long by 7.5m wide and a bank protruding south from the building may represent the site of a porch. An outshut attached to the eastern wall stands up to 1.5m high. East of the farmhouse is the barn, which is subdivided into at least five separate rooms. South of the farmhouse is a small structure subdivided into four rooms, one of which represents a lavatory. In the south western part of the farmstead are a further three barns and a paddock. The settlement at Middleworth is first documented in 1281 and it would appear to have remained in constant occupation until it was abandoned in the 1920s.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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