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Summary

Granite Tramway. In use between 1820 and around 1858 to transport granite from the quarries at Haytor to the terminus of the Stover Canal at Teigngrace, where it could then be transported to the coast at Teignmouth. Constructed by George Templer, whose father James built the canal. Became disused due to the cost of loading the granite onto the barges at Teigngrace and then a second transfer at Teignmouth and competition from other quarries. Sections of the tramway are still visible.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002528: Haytor granite tramway
• SHINE: Bronze age settlement north-west of Haytor Rocks, comprising a partitioned enclosure with a hut circle and a fragmentary field system including at least one further hut circle
• SHINE: Earthworks and surviving stone walls of a prehistoric settlement on Haytor Down including a hut circle and field boundaries with a Medieval settlement
• Listed Building (II) 1097435: BRIDGE AND SECTION OF HAYTOR GRANITE TRAMWAY CROSSING BOVEY POTTERY LEAT ABOUT 250 METRES SOUTH-EAST OF CHAPPLE FARM
• Listed Building (II) 1317471: MILESTONE AND SECTION OF TRACK OF GRANITE TRAMWAY ON NORTH-WEST SIDE OF ROAD TO HAYTOR, ABOUT 90M NORTH-EAST OF JUNCTION WITH ROAD TO GREEN LANE
• SHINE: Earthworks and stone walls of a Bronze age parallel reave system on Haytor Down with a number of hut circle settlements, enclosures and prehistoric cairns, plus 19th century Bagtor Tin Mine
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of Medieval or post-Medieval field boundaries on Lower Down, Bovey Tracey

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX77NE21
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1198086
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NE/21
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 84462
• Old SAM County Ref: 449

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TRAMWAY (Constructed, XIX - 1820 AD (Between) to 1858 AD (Between))

Full description

Appleton, E., 1875, The Economic Geology of Devon, 235 (Article in Serial). SDV217610.

The tramway ran from the quarries through Bovey Tracey, Heathfield and Knighton Heathfield to the head of the Stover Canal at Ventover, near Stover House.

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

Line of the tramway ('disused') depicted on the First Edition map. Map object based on this Source.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 4435 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Adams, E. A., 1946, The Old Heytor Granite Railway, 161-163 (Article in Serial). SDV341504.

Haytor railway was built in 1820, and was still in use till 1870. The rails are oblong plates of granite laid end to end with an internal flange. The wheels of the wagons were unflanged and ran outside the flanges of the track. The line ended at Ventiford Wharf on the Stover Canal at Teigngrace. 1.22 meter gauge. Other details: Plates 11-17.

Department of Environment, 1960, Haytor Granite Tramway (Schedule Document). SDV282578.

Railway serving granite quarries opened in 1820. Extensive length of track with cuttings, embankments and junctions with points, all in granite (only part of its length is scheduled SX75057777, SX75357745, SX76127752, SX77137756).

Minchinton, W. E., 1976, Industrial Archaeology in Devon, 26 (Monograph). SDV7016.

The Haytor Granite Tramway. Built by George Templer and opened in 1820, this unusual 162 millimetre gauge tramway was used for transporting granite from the Haytor Quarries to Ventiford Wharf on the Stover Canal at Teigngrace. The rails made of granite blocks 38 millimetres wide and 29 millimetres deep vary in length from 152 millimetres to 305 millimetres. They were laid longitudinally and had flanges on the inside. The tramway ceased operation when the quarries were closed in the late 1850's. The section from Holwell Quarry to the Manaton road has much granite rail in situation.

Thomas, D. St. J., 1981, A Regional History of Railways of Great Britain, 86-7 (Monograph). SDV168.

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

Visible and recorded.

Devon County Council, 1985, EN, 12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282585.

Devon County Council, 1985, EO, 5, 5a (Aerial Photograph). SDV282584.

Smy, A. F. + Hunt, P. J. + Mercer, I. D. + Dann, N. J., 1985, Haytor Granite Tramway and Stover Canal: A Countryside Study (Monograph). SDV297534.

Snell, R., 1986, Green Lanes in Devon Project (Un-published). SDV8442.

Department of Environment, 1986, Scheduled Monument Consent Letter (Correspondence). SDV282579.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for repairs to trackbed.

Griffith, F., 1988, Devon's Past. An Aerial View, 107 (Monograph). SDV64198.

The most striking feature of the tramway is its construction. The 'rails' are made from the granite that they were to carry.

Devon County Council, 1988, Templer Way Guide for the Walker (Leaflet). SDV297243.

Harris, H., 1994, The Haytor Granite Tramway and Stover Canal, 46 (Monograph). SDV341541.

Constructed by George Templer who began developing the Haytor Quarries from 1813. Trade in Haytor granite had largely ceased by the late 1850's. History and guide to visible stretches of the tramway given. Branches of the tramway served Holwell, Rubble Heap, Harrow Barrow and Western quarries at Haytor.
Stretch of tramway clearly visible beside track in Yarner Wood at SX78547845 where it curves around the hillside. Near to milestone 5. Another section visible at SX79007845 following contours round Lower Down. Partly inaccessible on private land (page 46).
Well defined length of tramway in private woodland to right hand side of Lower Down Cross to Chapple Road at SX79977804 (page 47).

Newman, P., 1999, 2002, Haytor Down, Ilsington, Devon (Revised), 21-23, Figure 9-10 (Report - Survey). SDV346395.

(30/03/1999) Centred SX 7600 7680. Haytor Granite tramway, moorland section.
The tramway; field evidence
The Haytor Granite Tramway, although not unique in its concept of using flanged stone sets in place of iron rails, is very unusual and is particularly notable for its extent of over 8 1/2 miles in length between the quarries and Ventiford Basin near Teigngrace, where granite was transferred to barges on the Stover Canal. Over its moorland section (with which this survey is concerned), its survival is remarkable, with the majority of the trackway to three of the quarries remaining in place.
The tramway consists of parallel lines of rectangular granite sets, with flanges/rebates cut along the upper outside edges, placed end-to-end on a level track bed. The sets vary in length, though the majority are between 1m and 1.6m, with shorter pieces used on curved sections. The flanges are on average 4cm deep though on some of the more well-used stretches this has worn deeper, sometimes creating a groove by adding a second flange on the outside edge. The gauge of the tramway is 1.25m or 4ft 1". Although the tramway was constructed to avoid steep gradients for laden wagons, this was not always possible on moorland. One problematical stretch was the ascent from Holwell quarry where there is a rise of 50m over 550m.
Preparation of the trackbed involved several engineering works. On the Emsworthy Rocks west branch a depression in the crest of the hill necessitated a long raised section in excess 1.5m high in places. A curved raised section was also needed to transect the deep tin streamwork at SX 7604 7782 which lay in the path of the tramway and a deep cutting was necessary for it to exit the streamwork further uphill. Most impressive of these engineering works is the embankment which carried the Haytor Quarry branch of the tramway across the streamwork SX 7608 7769. This stands to over 3m in height where the tramway sets, though slightly displaced, survive along the crest of the embankment.
Points were used at branch junctions. These were granite slabs with converging grooves on the upper surface. A single hole bored into the stone in the centre of the V acted as pivots, probably for metal plates which when moved would alter the direction. Good examples survive at the point where the Holwell branch leaves the main section at SX 7571 7772 and on the west side of the Haytor branch embankment SX 7607 7767.
Apart from the main tramway and branches to the various quarries, many lesser offshoots from the primary system are discernible, often visible as short alignments of sets, sections of track bed or point evidence. The majority of these are in the vicinity of individual quarries and will be discussed within the quarry descriptions below. However, at two other locations there is evidence of either incomplete or altered sections of track. A section of track with sets in place branches off the main line at SX 7579 7777, 25m before the Holwell branch but fades out after only 5m. Its purpose is unknown. A section of embankment on the north side of the streamwork at SX 7617 7771, which bridges the arch of the bend in the tramway is a probable siding, or passing loop. Points are visible on the main track, which align with this embankment although no track survives on the embankment itself, suggesting it fell into disuse before the tramway's final abandonment. Another short length of siding survives with track in place, just to the east of the Manaton road at SX 7696 7754.
One of the most puzzling features of the tramway is that along the sections to Emsworthy Rocks east and west quarries, the granite sets of the tracks have been removed from a point just to the south-west of Rubble Heap; only sub-standard or broken sections remain in place. The same applies to the branch which runs from the north-west end of Haytor Quarry, across to the main tramway. These sets were probably re-used on other sections of tramway after the branches in question fell into disuse, though the chronology of this is debatable.
The source of granite for the tramway sets is not known, although Harris suggests the two Emsworthy quarries served this purpose. This is possible though without precise details of whether the tramway preceded quarrying or vice-versa, there can be no certainty. It is notable, however, that surface moorstone was certainly one source for the sets as several incomplete examples lie well away from the tramway, in areas of stone cutting, examples being evident on the Holwell Tor ridge.
Described by Ewans (1964) and by Harris (1994).
A full report and large scale surveys are deposited in the NRHE archive.

Stanbrook, E., 2003, Dartmoor's vanished railways; The Haytor Granite Tramway, 21 (Article in Serial). SDV282596.

In use between 1820 and around 1858 to transport granite from the quarries at Haytor to the terminus of the Stover Canal at Teigngrace, where it could then be transported to the coast at Teignmouth. Constructed by George Templer, whose father James built the canal. Became disused due to the cost of loading the granite onto the barges at Teigngrace and then a second transfer at Teignmouth and competition from other quarries. Other details: Scanned copy of parish file source. Original at DCC.

Natural England Volunteers, 2009-2015, Natural England Volunteer Archaeological Survey, P4 (1-4), P16 (Worksheet). SDV350591.

(Visited 05/08/2010) Aspects of the tramway recorded, including granite setts, corner wedges and metal plates. Six photographs taken. Photographic record is held by Natural England.
SX 78577 78437 (10/04/2011) Templer Way feather and tare recorded. The granite tramway of 1.2 metres wide, L-shaped profile 17 centimetres wide by 15 centimetres. Formed by length of granite rail 1.5 metres long, set end to end along both sides of the tramway. Rear edge of rail has four feather and tare holes: 2 centimetres diameter by 5 centimetres deep. In good condition although covered in 17 centimetres of leaf mould. Sketch made.

Natural England Volunteers, 2009-2015, Natural England Volunteer Archaeological Survey, R4 (Worksheet). SDV350591.

Visited 25/03/2011. Templer Way recorded at SX 76937 77543. Visible track-way points and marker stones from start to SX 77204 77560. Yarner boundary.

Richards, A. F., 2011, Comment about the tramway (Personal Comment). SDV347995.

The route of the tramway leaves the National Park at SX80387753 and then heads south-easterly for approximately 850 meters to a point near SX81187720.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Sections of the tramway are depicted on the modern mapping. Map object based on this Source.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

Milestone and section of track belonging to former granite tramway from Haytor quarry to Stover Canal. 1820s. Granite. Low granite post with roughly shaped head, carved with the figure 6 which represents the number of miles from the canal. About 1½ metres in front of it a short stretch of granite trackway. The Granite Tramway was opened in 1820 for horse-drawn wagons carrying granite from Haytor quarries to the Stover Canal, whence it was taken by barge to the port of Teignmouth. Source: M C Ewans, The Haytor Granite Tramway, 1964. Other details: LB UID: 84462.

Blaylock, S., 2015, Stover Park, Devon, 3 (Report - non-specific). SDV360090.

Built by George Templer in 1820 to facilitate the transport of granite from the quarries to the Stover Canal.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7021 - Haytor Down: Survey Report (Ref: A1/2/1999)
• EDV6071 - East Devon Natural Nature Reserve and surrounds Archaeological Survey

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