Dartmoor National Park Authority

Houndtor

One of Dartmoor’s largest deserted medieval settlements and a smaller contemporary farmstead are located in this PAL, which together with their associated field systems, represent an exceptionally well preserved medieval landscape.  The importance of the larger settlement is reflected in the fact that it was taken into the care of the State in the 1970s; only the finest examples of particular types of site have been designated Properties in Care.

A few isolated prehistoric features; a cist (a rectangular pit lined with granite sides originally covered by a mound or cairn) and the remains of round houses, enclosures and field boundaries have survived the intense use of the area in medieval times

The larger medieval settlement contains the remains of eleven buildings which were constructed around AD 1250 and abandoned around one hundred and fifty years later. As with the single farmstead, there are longhouses, outbuildings and corn-drying barns.  The sites were excavated in the 1960s and so the drystone walls of the buildings can clearly be seen.

The medieval field system which occupies the eastern half of the Down is a very fine illustration of medieval farming practice, with ‘infields’ closest to the settlement, where cereal crops would have been grown and ‘outfields’ further away, used predominantly for pasture, but which could be, and were, cultivated from time to time.  The fields are bounded by low corn ditches (these having one vertical stone face and one sloping earthen one).  Subtle remains of the ploughing episodes can be seen in the form of terraces (lynchets) and ridge and furrow.  The lynchets are long and narrow and reflect the medieval practice whereby each farmer cultivated a number of scattered strips of land intermixed amongst those of his neighbours

The entire extent of medieval settlement and field system (about 40 hectares) has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM).

Ecologically the area is dominated by acid grassland, bracken and scrub with no UK BAP species known to be present.

What it should look like: This area requires a short grass-dominated sward. Bracken is a problem and should be controlled with the aim of its removal from substantial areas of the PAL. European Gorse will also require management in some areas. The existing trees pose little threat but there should be no expansion of tree cover. There are subtle features in this site that require careful maintenance. Grassland needs to be maintained as a very short sward (5 cm to 10 cm) while preventing damage to features such as ridge and furrow.

Interactive Mapping (GIS) System

The link below provides access to an interactive map which shows the PAL at Houndtor.  You can zoom in further on a specific area of interest using the tools provided.  (For additional help using the system please refer to our GIS help page.)

Page updated 16 September 2009