A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
September 26, 2025
Roundhill Cot
This ‘Then and Now’ is Roundhill Cot, which is located to south west of Two Bridges, just off the B3312. The pictures are likely to be at least 45 years apart, possibly more.
Roundhill Cot is on private land and is now a storage barn but was once lived in, most probably up to late 19th / early 20th century. The most well known occupant was the Dartmoor poet, Jonas Coaker.
The author would like to thank Russell Chapman, who hosted a fantastic visit for him to the cot and the adjacent mine workings.
Bibliography
Eric Hemery (1983) – High Dartmoor (pages 389 and 391)
The original Roundhill Cot. The date of the picture is unknown as is the young girl in the picture. That said, the author estimates the picture may be from late 1970’s or early 1980’s. If anyone knows a more accurate date the author would love to hear from them. Eric Hemery in ‘High Dartmoor’ (page 391) alludes to the fact that he spoke to a Mrs Gertrude Mead who lived in the new Roundhill House (to the west of the original Roundhill Cot), who had stated that her mother had been born in the Cot. She further stated that she could remember her parents, Tom and Harriet Hannaford , cooking in the peat ashes of the fire.Roundhill Cot – September 2025Then and Now combined picture. The picture shows the chimney top having been removed which is the same as from the original picture. The only discernible differences between the two pictures are the 21st century roof and the cockerell weather vaneLate 19th century map showing the original Roundhill Cot before the ‘modern’ Roundhill House was built. The ‘Old Shaft’ shown on the map is likely to have been part of Wheal Harmony which was opened in 1834 but by 1871 had been disused for some timeJonas Coaker (1801-1890), the renowned Dartmoor poet once lived at the Cot and it is said it was here, around the same peat fire previously mentioned where the Hannaford’s cooked, is where he wrote much of his poetry. It is possible that Jonas Coaker wrote these verses here :
I drew my breath first on this moor; There my forefathers dwelled; Its hills and dales I’ve traversed o’er. Its desert parts beheld.’
It’s oft enveloped in a fog Because it’s up so high.’The original Cot and the new Roundhill Cottage (which was built circa 1913). Hemery describes the new cottage as being a ‘gaunt modern house’. The current owner has re-roofed the original cot within the last 10 years
