Reasons for Designation
Medieval rural settlements in England were marked by great regional diversity
in form, size and type, and the protection of their archaeological remains
needs to take these differences into account. To do this, England has been
divided into three broad Provinces on the basis of each area's distinctive
mixture of nucleated and dispersed settlements. These can be further divided
into sub-Provinces and local regions, possessing characteristics which have
gradually evolved during the past 1500 years or more.
This monument lies in the extensive south-west Peninsula sub-Province of the
Northern and Western Province, an area climatically, culturally and physically
distinct from the rest of England. It includes varying terrains, from the
granite uplands, through rolling dissected plateaux to fertile clay lowlands
in the east. While nucleated settlements are present, notably in the Devon
Lowlands and throughout the South Hams, many originated as small towns, and a
high proportion may be of later date. Excluding only the moorland masses, the
sub-Province is characterised by medium and high densities of dispersed
settlements; indeed, some of the former industrial areas had densities as high
as any in the country.
The Dartmoor local region is a high, undulating moorland scenically and
climatically distinct. The inner core, now treeless, is the ancient `Forest of
Dartmoor', while an outer ring of commons provides grazing for a number of
communities outside the Forest. Almost devoid of nucleated settlement, the
region has extremely low densities of dispersed settlement. Scattered
farmsteads and hamlets with irregular enclosed fields appear in peripheral
valleys, while above the present head-dyke are numerous traces of abandoned
settlements and fields.
Details
The monument includes a farmstead situated on a south facing terrace at
Middleworth overlooking the Narrator Brook. The farmstead survives as a
series of drystone walls denoting the position of the farmhouse and a range of
outbuildings and paddocks. At the eastern end of the complex a barn remains
standing to its original height, but all the other buildings have lost their
upper levels.
The farmhouse survives as a rectangular building with drystone walls standing
up to 1.7m high in which at least two window openings are visible. The
interior of this structure measures 8.6m long by 7.5m wide and a bank
protruding south from the building may represent the site of a porch. An
outshut attached to the eastern wall stands up to 1.5m high. East of the
farmhouse is the barn, which is subdivided into at least five separate rooms.
South of the farmhouse is a small structure subdivided into four rooms, one of
which represents a lavatory. In the south western part of the farmstead are
a further three barns and a paddock.
The settlement at Middleworth is first documented in 1281 and it would appear
to have remained in constant occupation until it was abandoned in the 1920s.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22394
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
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.
End of official list entry
