Dartmoor is 369 square miles of ' wasteland ' & wilderness
called DARTMOOR FOREST it was once a hunting ground of the kings of England
Dartmoor has evidence of settlements far back into history as the late Neolithic & Bronze Age
Over several thousand years the mild climate of the Bronze Age deteriorated and people moved into the hills around the moor leaving the moorlands with a greatly reduced numbers of settlements by the 11th century
The following are some of the Domesday settlements on Dartmoor that can still be found on the ground
There is the Exon Domesday held by Exeter Cathedral - This is an edition, translation, facsimile, description and resource for the study of Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3500 (Exon Domesday), the earliest extant manuscript of the Conqueror's survey.
The project explores how and why the Domesday survey was made.
SCORBITOR or SCOBITOR in the hundred of Kerswell
1068 The Domesday records show the land was held by Bishop Geoffrey of Coutances (Normandy)
This consisted of 16 villagers. 8 smallholders. 8 slaves working 18 ploughlands. 3 lord's plough teams. 10 men's plough teams. There were the Lord of the Manors lands;. 5 acres of Meadow; 50 acres of Pasture; 60 acres of Woodland & a (corn) mill, value 10 shillings : there was livestock 1 cob, 30 cattle. 7 pigs. 85 sheep. 5 goats
The value to Lord of the Manor was £14 in 1086. (This was a very high value property)
Before the Normans the manor was owned by : Edric & 15 thanes
After the Norman Conquest of 1066 the Tenant-in-chief was still Bishop Geoffrey of Coutances who in 1086 was Lord of the Manor with the 15 thanes
(Thanes - men who held land granted to them by the king or by a military nobleman ranking between an ordinary freeman and a hereditary noble.
Other places held by the same Lord after 1068
Adoneboui (Little Bovey), Wermehel (Warmhill), Scobatora (Shaptor), Ailauesfort (Elsford), Olueleia ((Woolleigh), Hauocmora (Hawkmoor),
Harleia (Hatherleigh), Polebroc (Pullabrook). and Brungerstone (considered to be outlying land in what is now Widecombe in the Moor parish but not clearly identified )
Brungerstone apparently Identified by Victoria County History Devon, with 'Bawtor' or Bottor but without evidence; (Victoria Country History at IHR
(Not found by AJP on a cursury search of Victoria County History website BUT I did find Bottor Rocks Farm is just south west of Hennock,
Nearby Warmhill listed II* has an early medieval core with 16th century farm buildings
Mentioned in the Domesday Book, this 100-acre working farm with its thatched farmhouse is now a holiday cottage
WIDECOMBE-IN-THE-MOOR, sometimes spelt Widdecombe, or Withecombe-in-the-moors, 6 miles N.W. by N. of Ashburton. Its parish is a detached member of Haytor Hundred, and contains 10,614 acres of land, including the hamlets, &c., of Cator, Ponsworthy, Poundsgate, Linchaford, Fernhill, Dunstone, Blackslade, Lower-Tor, and about 4700 acres of open commons, called Newbridge, Blackdown, Natsworthy, Jourdan,
HOUNDTOR in the hundred of Teignbridge had a recorded population of 6 households in 1086, putting it in the smallest 40% of settlements recorded in Domesday.
The land was held by the Abbey of St Mary & St Rumon Tavistock (Landlords)
2 villagers. 2 smallholders. 2 slaves. 4 ploughlands. 1 lord's plough teams. 1 men's plough teams. 0.25 lord's lands. 9 acres of Meadow 1 league of Pasture and 2 acres of Woodland with 7 cattle. 28 sheep. 18 goats. With an annual value to the lord:£1 in 1086.
Tenant-in-chief before 1066: Tavistock Abbey In 1086: Tavistock Abbey of St Mary & St Rumon
Lord of the Manor in 1086: Reginald.
A league a measure of land generally accepted as 3 statute miles (4.83 km), although varying lengths from 7,500 feet to 15,000 feet
BAGTOR was held by Nicholas the bowman after 1086
Households: 6 villagers. 2 smallholders. 1 slave.
Ploughland: 5 ploughlands. 1 lord's plough teams. 4 men's plough teams.
Other resources: 0.06 lord's lands. 1 Pasture of 0.5 leagues. 3 acres of Woodland with 5 cattle. 3 pigs. 35 sheep. 15 goats.
Annual value to lord: 1 pound in 1086; 15 shillings when acquired by the 1086 owner.
Held by Ordric.before the Conquest
Tenant-in-chief in 1086: Nicholas the bowman. Who held land directly from the Crown.
Lord of the Manor in 1086: Roger. The immediate lord over the peasants who paid tax to the tenant-in-chief.
DEWDON On the High moor not far from Jordon Manor farm near Widecombe on the Moor
was held by Land of William of Falaise ( of Normandy) who had 18 villagers. 6 smallholders. 14 slaves.
Ploughland: 13 ploughlands. 5 lord's plough teams. 7 men's plough teams.
Other resources: 1.0 lord's lands. Meadow 15 acres. Pasture 50 acres. Woodland 50 acres.
Livestock in 1086: 1 cob. 8 cattle. 159 sheep. 42 goats.
Annual value to lord: 3 pounds in 1086; 3 pounds when acquired by the 1086 owner.
Lord of the Manor in 1066: Alric.
Tenant-in-chief in 1086: William of Falaise. Lord of the Manor in 1086: William of Falaise.
DEWDON : Today it only exists as a named location with archaeological evidence which can be identified on the ground.
74/9/9/3 (Record Office Collection). SDV309691.
A document dated 1602 conveys the Manor of Dewdon Malet from John Malet of Enmore to Richard Langworthy
Dewdon & Jordon Manor are mentioned together in Heritage Gateway & are close together on the high moor; & Jordon is a farmhouse with a huge pond - often a sign of a monastic grange , whilst Dewdon has remnants with postholes and foundations but not longer has a dwelling
PDF of nearby Jordon Manor at foot of page Historic England Entry
the whole area is awash with images and ancient history!!
Dartmoor Nestled between the bosom of Rowden Ball and Dunstone Down is the ‘deserted medieval village’ of what today is known as ‘Hutholes. The term ‘village’ is probably doing the settlement huge injustice as once it was an ancient manor dating way back into the long-lost mists of time.
The consensus of opinion tends to be that Hutholes was the old manor of Dewdon which originally appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Depdona. Firstly the place-name, Hutholes was at one time one the field name in which the settlement lies. In 1963 a report on the ‘Abandoned medieval sites in Widecombe-in-the-Moor’ was published in that year’s Transactions of the Devonshire Association.
It noted; “South Rowden or Hotholes – The small deserted village lies in an acre of waste ground known as Old Walls… this was the site of a holding known as South Rowden…” The report then goes on to say; “As the buildings are all comparatively small, this may have been a villein’s settlement near the manor of Dewdon in which it lies. This site is to be surveyed in the near future and an excavation arranged to obtain dating for its period.”........
https://www.google.com/maps/@50.5669076,-3.8475129,2770m/data=!3m1!1e3
Widecombe on Moor close by here.
Bonehill Medieval settlement RESEARCH NOTES
known as 'Bunhill' it included several tenements with farmhouses and outbuildings. Now known as 'Lower Bonehill' 'Middle Bonehill' and 'Higher Bonehill'
DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Constructed, Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))
Lower Bonehill Farmhouse grade II listed formerly a longhouse with C16 with additions at the rear. Granite rubble,
including some massive blocks at the quoins and base of the walls…The interior has been stripped out except for the chimney stack. The large rectangular fireplace-opening has monolithic, hollow-moulded granite jambs and lintel; oven with stone-framed opening and shallow shelf in front.
The old interior is described (with a plan) in E Mercer, English Vernacular Houses, 1975, p.151.
Whitten, E. H. T., 2009, Bonehill: Evolution of a Dartmoor Hamlet, 101 (Monograph). SDV348680.
Lower Bonehill comprised two tenements prior to 1800 and both were referred to as 'Bonneyhill'
Adjacent to the house are 5 farm buildings, making an important group; these are separately listed.
Whitten, E. H. T., 2009, Bonehill: Evolution of a Dartmoor Hamlet, 99-113 (Monograph). SDV348680.
Barn to the south-west of Lower Bonehill farmhouse with worked stone in the western wall. This barn has features suggesting it might originally have been a Medieval longhouse. The building is aligned east-west and set into the ground which rises to the east so that the eastern gable end is about half the height of the western one. The possible cross passage lay south to north. In 2004 the eastern end of the building was renovated with a new doorway. Other details: Figures 35 and 37.
Middle Bonehill Farmhouse is listed Grade II*
Visited on 29th August 1979. Middle Bonehill farmhouse has a date over the porch of 1682. An old longhouse. According to local information the shippen is now a store room. Inside there is a panelled wall and an open fireplace with little changed.
Summary
Middle Bonehill is a two storey granite rubble longhouse 23 metres long by 7 metres wide with the long axis running west to east on the north side of the lane.
Middle Bonehill farmhouse probably originated as a longhouse in the 14th century with later additions and alterations. Eight phases of development were identified in 2010 survey beginning in the 14th century with a single storey stone rubble cross passage house. A first floor room or solar was added over the parlour in the 15th century. The porch was added in 1682 by John Smeardon. Other phases involved the building of a stable to the front and a major refurbishment of the living quarters and shippon in the late 19th century.
Location Grid Reference: SX 725 775. Map Sheet: SX77NW
Admin Area Dartmoor National Park ; Civil Parish Widecombe in the Moor; District Teignbridge; Ecclesiastical Parish WIDECOMBE IN THE MOOR
Protected Status
Higher Bonehill is listed grade II - C16th or 17th century, possible earlier of granite rubble. Thatched roof, half-hipped at left-hand end.
https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results.aspx
search Bonehill Widecombe in Heritage Gateway gets 20 results
Devon & Dartmoor HER
The Devon & Dartmoor HER is a record of the known archaeology and historic environment for the county of Devon, including Dartmoor National Park. It includes records of archaeological sites, historic buildings, historic landscapes and related information.
Devon & Dartmoor HER returned 20 records matching your search, here are the first 5.
Devon & Dartmoor HER
The Devon & Dartmoor HER is a record of the known archaeology and historic environment for the county of Devon, including Dartmoor National Park. It includes records of archaeological sites, historic buildings, historic landscapes and related information.
Devon & Dartmoor HER returned 20 records matching your search, here are the first 5.
Pool on Bonehill Down Widecombe in the Moor
Open cut on Bonehill Down Widecombe in the Moor
Trial pits on Bonehill Down Widecombe in the Moor
Settlement south of Bonehill Rocks Widecombe in the Moor
Higher Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Barn at Higher Bonehill, Widecombe in the Moor Widecombe in the Moor
Bonehill Medieval Settlement, Widecombe-in-the-Moor Widecombe in the Moor
Middle Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Barn 30 metres south-west of Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Shippon 15 metres south-west of Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Barn 10 metres south of Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Outbuilding 10 metres north-west of Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Bonehill bridge over the East Webburn River Widecombe in the Moor
Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Bonehill House Widecombe in the Moor dates to the 17th century (built circa 1600)
Shippon 50 metres south-west of Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Linhay north of Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Shippon 10 metres south of Higher Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Threshing Barn 6 metres east of Middle Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moor
Barn 25 metres south-east of Middle Bonehill Farmhouse Widecombe in the Moo
LISTED buildings near Bonehill
II Shippon About 10 Metres South of Higher Bonehill Farmhouse Bonehill, Teignbridge, Devon, TQ13
II Bank Barn About 6 Metres East of Middle Bonehill Farmhouse Bonehill, Teignbridge, Devon, TQ13
II Barn About 25 Metres South East of Middle Bonehill Farmhouse, on the Opposite Side of the Road Bonehill, Teignbridge, Devon, TQ13
II* Middle Bonehill Farmhouse, Including Garden Wall in Front of Right Hand Side of House Bonehill, Teignbridge, Devon, TQ13
II Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Bonehill, Teignbridge, Devon, TQ13
II Outbuilding About 10 Metres North East of Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Bonehill, Teignbridge, Devon, TQ13
II Barn About 10 Metres South of Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Bonehill, Teignbridge, Devon, TQ13
II Shippon About 15 Metres South West of Lower Bonehill Farmhouse Bonehill, Teignbridge, Devon, TQ13
Higher Uppacott is a medieval farmhouse (longhouse) in which both people and cattle were accommodated under a single roof.
It has been classed as a Grade 1 listed building of national importance because it is one of the few remaining examples of this historic building type, which has retained its lower or shippon end (cattle shelter) in its original unaltered state.
A guided visit is the only way to view this remarkable building and a series of dates are now available to book. All tours start at 10:30 am unless otherwise advised, last approximately 1.5 hrs and cost £6.00 pp. Places can be booked by contacting the National Park Visitor Centre at Princetown on 01822 890414 or emailing visit@dartmoor.gov.uk
a film exploring living on medieval Dartmoor & at Higher Uppacott