Medieval settlement on Peek Hill, 240m and 280m north east of Lowery Tor

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.

The medieval settlement on Peek Hill 240m and 280m north east of Lowery Tor survives well and contains archaeological and environmental information relating to the exploitation of this area during the medieval period. Most unusually, this settlement does not appear to have an associated field system.

Details

The monument, which falls into two areas of protection, includes a medieval longhouse and outbuilding situated on a south facing slope of Peek Hill overlooking Burrator Reservoir. The longhouse survives as a rectangular building denoted by drystone walls measuring 1m wide and up to 0.6m high. The interior of the building measures 13m long by 4m wide. An annex attached to the north western side of the longhouse is 9m long by 4m wide and is defined by a rubble wall standing up to 0.4m high. A 3.8m wide hollow measuring up to 0.6m deep lies adjacent to the south eastern part of the longhouse and this represents a drainage ditch. The outbuilding lies 66m north east of the longhouse and survives as a 8.4m long by 2.9m wide internal area surrounded by a 0.8m wide and 0.6m high drystone wall. The interior of the building is filled with rubble and a gap in the south western wall represents an original entrance. An outshut attached to the north eastern side of the building measures 2m long by 1.1m wide.

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:

24089

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX56NE480, (1986)

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