Reasons for Designation
Lundy is a small, steep sided island in the Bristol Channel, 16m north of
Hartland Point, north Devon. Aligned north-south, it is 6km long by 1km wide
and supports a predominately moorland vegetation. The 100m high cliffs and
tabular form give it a striking appearance, visible in clear weather from
parts of south west England and south Wales.
Lundy's remoteness and (until the 19th century construction of the Beach Road)
its inaccessibility, combined with a lack of shelter and cultivable soils, has
meant that it has escaped more recent occupation or development. It therefore
preserves a remarkable variety of archaeological sites from early prehistory
(c.8000 BC) onwards, representing evidence for habitation, fortification,
farming and industry. There are also archaeological remains in the waters
surrounding the island - over 150 shipwrecks are already recorded. Most of the
island's archaeology is well documented from detailed survey in the 1980s and
1990s.
The extraction of stone for various purposes has been practised in England
during most periods from the Neolithic onwards. The exploitation of granite
is comparatively recent, with its resistence to impact and weathering being
its main virtue. Used for buildings and, in the 20th century, roads, the
granite quarries of the south west are of particular note.
These cottages were for workers at the quarry and these remains provide
insight into the planned living conditions of a group of skilled workers and
their families towards the end of the 19th century. Together with the quarry,
they provide sufficient detail to enable precise reconstruction of the
workings of a stone quarrying operation of this period.
Details
The monument, which falls into two areas, includes a well and the foundation
of a ruined block of five cottages built in 1863 for the accommodation of
quarry workers on the site of the Lundy Granite Company's workings 200m to the
east. The quarry was in use between 1863 and 1868.
The block, which is oriented north east to south west, is cut into the side of
a shallow bank to the north and the platform for the foundations measures 50m
by 17m. Within the block are remains of five small cottages with the front
doors opening to the south. The well is 15m to the south west of the end of
this terrace. There are no traces of outside privies nor of garden enclosures
for the cottages.
The associated infirmary, a block of cottages to the south and the quarry are
the subject of separate schedulings.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
