Summary
A granite horse shed of 1823, built for the Plymouth and Dartmoor Tramway by Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt MP.
Reasons for Designation
Tyrwhitt’s Wharf on Roborough Down, Clearbrook, Devon, built in 1823, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
History
Plymouth and Dartmoor Tramway was built by Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt to improve the moorland economy and on completion in 1827 it extended from Princetown and Sutton Harbour. The tramway carried quarried granite stone from Dartmoor to Plymouth for its use in construction projects and brought raw materials and general supplies back to Princeton. Tyrwhitt’s Wharf was apparently designed and used as a staging point on Roborough Down for the stabling and refreshment of the horses used to operate the tramway. It may have also been used for storage although its principal transhipment function is indicated by the name ‘wharf’. The construction of the building was completed by 1823 when the line first opened. An inaugural public breakfast for 1,000 people was held on 26 September 1823 to mark “the occasion of opening the Dartmoor Railway and Tunnel” (Exeter Flying Post). After subsequent railway developments in the area, and changes of ownership, the Dartmoor section of the railway above Yelverton was rebuilt as the standard gauge Princetown Railway, which opened in 1883. The remainder of the tramway, including the wharf, had little traffic and went out of use by 1900.
Details
A transhipment stable built in 1823 for Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt of the Plymouth and Dartmoor Tramway, possibly extended in late C19 and with later alterations.
End of official list entry
