FERNWORTHY FOREST FARMS

This sketch shows the relative locations of the farmsteads in this post. All are easily accessed via forest tracks or the modern tarmac road around Fernworthy Reservoir

Higher Lowton Farm – a very simplified sketch. The farm is just a few hundred metres from the tarmac road and about 30 metres from a forest track. The farmstead was first shown on 19th century OS maps but is believed to have dated from a much earlier period

Higher Lowton is a two roomed building, which has overgrown since the 2013. There are conifer saplings abound the whole site and it is a little uneven. The photograph shows Room A in relation to the forest track below. Room A is rectangular and is approximately 9m x 4m.

Room B is uphill (East) from Room A and is a more square shape and is approx. 4m x 4m

From the south the land on which the farm building was constructed can be seen to be on quite a slope

Reading the survey from 2013, a yard and lane were depicted, which were depicted in an early OS Map

A lone stone in the corner of Room A has been identified as the location of a probable fireplace.

Fireplace stone close up

This section of wall in Room A looks (to the author) like a possible storage niche. To add however, this is not an official part of the professional archaeological survey.

The yard can be depicted (just)

The lane can also be depicted.

This farmstead is difficult to explore despite being adjacent to the main tarmac road. The farmstead, as with Higher Lowton, was first shown on 19th century OS maps. The forestry commission (I assume), have placed a fence topped with barbed wire in the way. There is no stile access.

Field walls

Sandeman Bridge crosses the South Teign near the end of the tarmac road

19th century map of Fernworthy. From Dartmoor HER record (MDV6630); “The mention of Fernworthie Hedges in a Dartmoor Perambulation of 1609 is suggestive of a settlement here at that time and earlier documentary references to Fernworthy or Vernaworthy in the 14th and 16th century may suggest that the farm had much earlier origins. Worth considered the suffix ‘worthy’ to possible indicate a Saxon origin.”

Overlaying the modern OS map on the 19th century map, it can be appreciated the extent of the waters of the reservoir (from 1940s) in relation to the farm. The thumbnail picture was taken on 22nd September 1934 and is part of the Dartmoor Archive (link below). The location of where the photographer stood, is most likely as indicated above, is now underwater.

The remaining building at Fernworthy. All buildings were destroyed when the dam and reservoir were constructed except this one, which to the author looks like a small barn.

Another view (from the south) of the one remaining building at Fernworthy.

Gate within the Fernworthy enclosures

Lots of moss covered walls

Another wall within the Fernworthy enclosures

The walls are very wide

Top end of the west side lane leading to Fernworthy.

En-route to Assycombe Farm from Fernworthy Farm, saw this little chap

A rare sighting of a Jay, just a few hundred metres from Assycombe Farm ruins.

19th century map of Assycombe Farm, the unknown building in relation to the double stone row. Mentioned in Dartmoor HER (ref SDV351784), viz: The placename is first documented in 1488 and it is possible that a small farmstead was established here by that time.

A very simplified plan of the Assycombe Farm building (aka Assacombe). It was a three roomed dwelling and is around 40m from the forest track. It is orientated approx. W-E. The building is approx 12m x 4.5m.

The most striking part of the ruins in 2020 are the uprights between Room A and Room B. Room A is the largest of the three at around 5m long.

Room B is uphill (East) of Room A.

Next (south) of the farm looks like an old lane. Uphill is what is assumed to be the field enclosure shown on the 19th century map.

Another view of Room A, showing how close the farm is to the Forest Track

Room A looking East (into Rooms B and C)

Looking south from the farm building

The top building (most easterly) contains a fireplace. It is believed Rooms B and C were interconnected.

Another view of Room B

Room C, looking from the south

An interesting recumbent stone with a slot adjacent to Room B

Next to the recumbent stone with the slot is an upright with an iron hanger still in situ.

Looking East into Room B

The iron hanger on the Room B upright

The iron hanger upright

View of Assycombe Farm building from the South. This is taken from a similar location to one found on the Dartmoor Archive from 29th May 1894 (Burnard collection). Each of the three rooms had an entrance on the south side, which clearly can be seen from the 1894 picture. The uprights still extant in 2020 can still be made out in the 1894 picture.

The fireplace stones in Room A

South East(ish) is a possible field enclosure. It is believed that the walls of the enclosures were maintained until the 19th century. They have been disturbed by forestry activity in places and may also have been the victims of stone robbing in the early 19th century.

From the field enclosure looking North-West(ish) over the farm building towards the forest track. The enclosure is at SX65940 82782

Between the enclosure and the farm

Enclosure walls, looking north.

South of Assycombe lies an unknown building shown on the 19th century map. It is at SX65910 82629

The building ruins

A small L-shaped inner yard is built against the south-east corner of the house.

Attached to the eastern end of the yard at a slightly higher level is a roughly rectangular enclosure, 11m by 9m which is likely to have been a garden plot.