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, although never finished, were reduced to foundations by the
removal of standing fabric in 1896. However, the remains will provide insight
into the planned welfare of workers in the quarry industry on Lundy as well as
giving information about construction methods and their proposed use. Together
with the quarry, they provide sufficient detail to enable precise
reconstruction of the workings of a stone quarrying operation during the late
19th century.
Details
The monument includes the foundations of two blocks of cottages built for the
workers at the Lundy Granite Company's quarry 250m to the east. The cottages
bear a datestone, now detached, showing that they were started in 1868. In
that year the company went into receivership and the cottages were never
finished.
The cottages are in two blocks of four beside the track which runs the length
of the island. Each block measures 45m by 10m. Immediately to the west, behind
the southern block, is the foundation of an outside privy measuring 12m by 5m.
The walls of the cottages were demolished and the stone used in the
construction of the church in 1896.
The associated infirmary, a block of cottages to the north 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.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
30355
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Langham, A, 'The Lundy Island Chronical' in The Lundy Island Chronical, (1986), 8Other Thackray, C, The National Trust Archaeological Survey, (1989)
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
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