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Summary

The course of a 19th century tramroad built by the British Patent Naphtha Company runs some 3.6 kilometres north from the gasworks which formerly lay within the prison of war at Princetown. Branch lines ran to peat cuttings on Black Dunghill.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of Medieval or later streamworking and 19th century Naphtha Tramway and granite quarries north and west of Princetown Prison

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE175
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1064763
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/48
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TRAMWAY (Constructed, XIX - 1846 AD (Between) to 1875 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2475 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 3165 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Harris, H., 1968, Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor, 203 (Monograph). SDV149229.

About 250 metres east of Rendlestone Cross are signs of a now grassy track, north and south of the road, which curves away around the plantation on the prison ground in the direction of Princetown. It is probable that this was the route of a tramway over which peat was brought in to supply the Princetown Naphtha works.

Hemery, E., 1983, Walking the Dartmoor Railroads (Monograph). SDV345331.

In 1846 the British Patent Naphtha Company rented the war (Dartmoor) prison, built naphtha gas plant and horse-tramroad to Yearlick Ball.

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

Visible on the Royal Air Force aerial photographs. Recorded on map overlay.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 81-2, Map 30, Blackabrook Peat Tramway (Monograph). SDV219155.

The Blackabrook Peat Tramway carried peat from the 'turf ties' on the slopes around Blackbrook to the naphtha works at Princetown. The tramway was constructed by the British Patent Naphtha Company which started production in 1844.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(17/07/1995) Between SX57537687 to SX58437421 runs the course of the tramway designed to transport peat from extractive sites flanking the upper reaches of the Blacka Brook to a naphtha works occupying part of the former war prison at Princetown (see SX 57 SE 143). At SX57537687, the northern extremity of the system, lies an overgrown loading bay approximately 12 metres long and standing a maximum of 1.4 metres high constructed of large granite boulders. From this point the tramway ran some 3.6 kilometres south to SX58437421, a group of currently used prison buildings occupying the site of the naphtha works. The trackbed survives in its entirety and comprises a series of cuttings and embankments serving to create an even gradient. For most of its length it remains in use as a vehicle track though its upper reaches are now very marshy.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DTM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360208.

Visible on the lidar data fairly clearly, especialy northern branch to Black Dunghill.

Probert, S. A. J., 2002, Dartmoor Prison Farm, Devon. An Archaeological Survey and Evaluation, 4, fig (Report - Survey). SDV364452.

[1064763] (03/08/2002) SX 58027548 The naphtha tramroad runs some 3.6km from the prison buildings through the newtake and into unenclosed moorland. It remains visible as a metalled track crossing a series of embankments and cuttings.
A branch line diverged from the main route within what is now the Prison Farm. This line served the workings on the north flank of Black Dunghill. It crossed the Blackbrook River on a clam bridge which remains in situ and eventually exits the present newtake at SX57567672 finally terminating at SX57787753.
Within the newtake a separate line diverged to run south-east and apparently terminates on the gentle slope above the right bank of the Black Dunghill stream.

Newman, P., 2004, Merrivale Range Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV346874.

(05/01/2005) The course of the tramway in the unenclosed moorland to the north of the prison newtake has been heavily disturbed by later peat cutting and drainage works but remains in a stable condition.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Merrivale Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361635.

The 3.6 kilometre long course of a 19th century tramroad built to transport peat, extends from Princetown to Black Dunghill. Surviving as a series of linear cuttings and embankments.

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

Partially depicted on the modern map as still in use as a trackway.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8713 - Merrivale Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8714 - Survey of Dartmoor Prison Farm (Ref: AI//37/2002)
• EDV8813 - Archaeological and historical investigation of Peat Cutting on North-Western Dartmoor

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