Hound Tor Deserted Medieval Village (Devon)

The remains of four 13th century farmsteads.

Summary 13th century buildings (or older) Free admission No smoking Audio guide

Introduction

 The remains of four 13th century stone farmsteads, on land originally farmed in the Bronze Age. This isolated Dartmoor hamlet was probably abandoned in the early 15th century.

A free downloadable audio tour is available from

www.english-heritage.org.uk/houndtor

History to the present day

Hound Tor has four Dartmoor longhouses, with a central drainage channel and several smaller houses and barns. The three grain storage barns appear to have been adapted to include corn dryers, indicative of the deteriorating climate which led to the abandonment of the settlement by 1350.

The settlement is first mentioned in the Domesday Book as belonging to Tavistock Abbey. The villagers apparently left little behind when they left, and the acidic soil would have destroyed much evidence. Excavations unearthed a single coin from the time of Henry III, and some broken pottery originating from Crockerton in Dorset.

Arrival information and how to find us

Address: Hound Tor Deserted Medieval Village, Devon, , United Kingdom

Opening times:

All year

Any reasonable time

Mon - Sun

Admission prices:

Adult:Free

Children:Free

Concession:Free

 

Photographs courtesy of English Heritage Photographic Library.