A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
May 4, 2025
Hentor House and Farmstead
Hentor House and farmstead are considered to have Medieval origins, albeit a lot of the remaining features are of post Medieval date. The earliest reference to the settlement was as ‘Hyndetorr’ in 1375 and as ‘Hyndetorre’, ‘Hendetorre’ and ‘Hentorre’ in 1474. Although there is no evidence of continuous occupation from the 14th and 15th centuries, the farmstead here is known to have been in occupation at the turn of the 19th century when it was occupied by a Peter Nicholls. The farmstead was initially associated with pastoral farming but became the centre for Warrening once that had ceased. Hentor Warren, was established at least by 1807, and covered an area of approximately 113 hectares and extended as far as Spanish Lake in the South and the Plym in the West and included the former Willings Walls Warren. There is still evidence of the Warrening close to the farmstead with several pillow mounds being situated within fields.
The farmstead is delimited on the North by the farmhouse (Hentor House) and other buildings including two annexes and a Shippen, on the West and South by a stone wall, and on the East by a leat (Phillip’s Leat) which is believed overlies an earlier leat. The original water supply to the farm was carried in a leat from Shavercombe Brook and although this leat no longer survives it is thought the later Phillip’s Leat constructed around 1835 for the clay works on Lee Moor and which passes immediately upslope of the farmstead follows the same course. Shortly before the construction of Phillip’s Leat, the house and farmstead was finally abandoned in the 1820’s or 1830’s. Of note is that the house does not appear on 1842 Tithe Map or Apportionment.
There have been many Dartmoor Observers recording the House and Farmstead, including C.D.Linehan and R.G.Haynes (in the 1960s), the Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division (in the 1970s) and D.G Price (in the 1980s). However, by far and away the most comprehensive record and interpretation was conducted by Sandy Gerrard in the 1990s and into the early 2000s, which has been used extensively in this post, for which the author is grateful, acknowledges and references throughout.
Linehan, C. D., 1965, Deserted Sites on Dartmoor, Devon, 174 (Article in Serial). SDV217992.
Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 45,plans (Un-published). SDV150434.
Price, D. G., 1980, The Moorland Plym, 81-86 fig. 2a (Article in Serial). SDV254604.
Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 197-199 (Monograph). SDV249702.
Sketch map of Hentor House and Farmstead and associated features covered in this postThe approach to Hentor House and Farmstead from the west with the imposing Hen Tor dominating the area some 450 metres away to the east.Hentor House is the main dwelling of the farmstead. It comprises three compartments; West, East and an Annexe. The central elements comprise a two compartment long house which forms the earliest element of the farmhouse. Between the East and West Compartments is a 1.3 metre wide partition wall which is speculated (Gerrard) as having once supported a straight flight of stairs to an upper storeyThe Annexe Compartment lies immediately south of the East Compartment of Hentor HouseHentor House – East Compartment. It was measured (Gerrard) as being 5.2 metres long by 3.8 metres wide. Note the two small cupboard recesses, built into the north wall. One of these may be `Mother Nicholl’s Book Place’ described to Worth by William Ware of Ditsworthy (ref: Gerrard) The Western Compartment recorded measurement is 6 metres by 3.8 metresHentor House as viewed from the west end. The wall width is approx 0.9m, except the partition between the two main compartmentsA view of Hentor House as viewed from the south west corner of the West Compartment. The upright of the Annexe Compartment can be seen to the mid-right of the picture. Note there are up to five courses of drystone masonry which surviveThe West Compartment looking south onto the Yard. This Compartment is centralised at SX58994 65619The East Compartment of the Hentor House Longhouse looking south. Note the considerable amount of masonry which has tumbled into its interior, presumably the collapsed gable wall. The Compartment is centralised at SX59003 65616The rectangular Annexe Compartment attached to the East Compartment has internal dimensions of 5.9 metres by 5 metres. Note the entrance to this structure is through its west wall where a 1.1 metre wide gap by the upright. The structure is centralised at SX59004 65607Mentioned by Gerrard in this structure is a small cupboard recess (0.35 metres wide by 0.25 metres high). In the corner of the Annexe Compartment of Hentor House is a possible recess (although the author is not 100% convinced it is the one previously recorded)Another view of the West Compartment looking south west over Hen Tor MeadowImmediately to the west of Hentor House is a small rectangular crude construction annotated at Annexe (1) on the sketch map in this post. The interior measures 7 metres by 3.7 metresAnnexe (1) as viewed from the south west corner. The five drystone courses of the West Compartment of Hentor House making the eastern wall of this structure. The structure is centralised at SX58990 65620Annexe (1) – Access most likely have been through the 0.4 metres wide gap in the south wall (right side of picture – between a fallen large rock and an orthostat, which directly abuts the outer wall of the long house). Gerrard records that: “The difference in the construction method between this structure and the others forming the farmhouse may be related to function rather than date”This structure lies immediately to the east of the East Compartment of Hentor House. Speculated as being either a Barn or Shippen (annotated as a Shippen on the post sketch map) it is further connected to another rectangular structure further to the East (annotated Annexe (2)).The Shippen measures 23 metres by 7.5 metres. There is very little rock tumble from the walls of this structure which has been muted as being due to either the walls were never very high or (more likely) that they have robbed for later buildings. The structure is centralised at SX59020 65611To the east of the Shippen is another structure – annotated as Annexe (2) on the post sketch map. The interior of this structure measures 7.9m by 5.3m and is centred at SX59038 65608Looking west from the walling of Annexe (2). From east to west the structures are; Annexe (2), Shippen, East Compartment Hentor House, West Compartment Hentor House and finally Annexe (1). The distance is around 50 metres. It is speculated that annotated buildings, Annexe (2) and the Shippen were built as one unit and therefore may be the remains of a dwelling and shippen which preceded Hentor Farmhouse.Annexe (2) – The walls are just over 1m wide and around 1m high and contain some particularly large faced bouldersTo the south of Annexe (2) is a trapezoidal shaped Enclosure and might possibly represent a yard associated with Annex (2) if indeed it were a dwelling and the adjacent Shippen. The east wall has been and disturbed, which once would think was as a result of the construction of Phillip’s Leat which lies immediately alongside it.Part of the south wall of the EnclosureIn the main Yard of Hentor House, these four very large flat slabs placed parallel to each other and tilted so that each partly overlies the next represent possible Animal Stalling. If once upright these slabs would have defined three compartments.There is a drilled groove in each slab, possibly indicating stone splitting and thus dating this structure which was thought to have only started on Dartmoor at the turn of the 19th centuryThe Animal Stalls looking north west towards Ditsworthy Warren. The Yard beyond measures 33m by 28mThe stalls are located at SX58994 65594. Also in the Yard is this rather splendid Trough. It has been measured as 0.9m by 0.75m (outside) with a 0.55m long by 0.43m wide and 0.12m deep sub-rectangular depression. It is almost certainly for animal drinking. However, interestingly some Dartmoor observers (National Trust Upper Plym inventory) suggests that the size of the stone and depression accords well with that of mould stones – an interesting notion especially as the depression is atypical of mould stones, there is not nearby tin mine or Blowing HouseThe Trough is located at SX58992 65606A short distance from the Animal Stalls is this upright and what looks like a rectangular structure next to it. The author believes this may be the Dog Kennel recorded by Gerrard in his survey of the area. The structure seems to resemble the description : “survives as a small, 2m by 1.2m hollow”The possible Dog Kennel is located at SX5999 65599Described by Gerrard, lying immediately south of the yard (which is in actual fact is located just south of the the area annotated Enclosure on the sketch map of this post) is a “large flat slab, measuring 2m long by 1.6m wide and 0.6m thick, placed horizontally on 4 small stones”. Gerrard surmises that it is associated with the farmstead and once possibly was a cool store, a loading platform, or a rick stand (the author has annotated the sketch map as this)This feature is set around a shallow depression in the ground surfaceThe feature is located at SX59015 65590This rectangular building (annotated as Outbuilding (1) on the sketch map) is situated a short distance to the east of the farmstead. It is still shown on modern OS maps. It survives as an open ended rectangular building terraced into slope. Outbuilding (1) is centred at SX59085 65619. In an Ancient Monument scheduled document from 2000, it is recorded the the “Walls (are) formed by edge set orthostats measuring 0.9m wide and up to 1.2m high. Interior 11.5m by 3.5m. The western end is open”Eric Hemery records that Phillip’s Leat (formerly known as Little Gnats Head Leat) was constructed by William Phillips in approximately 1835 to carry water to his newly leased clay works on Lee Moor. The leat is believed to have been constructed over the former leat which provided water to Hentor Farmstead before it was extended to Lee Moor. The leat starts from the River Plym, above Langcombe Brook, under Little Gnats Head, where it can still be followed. The original leat to the farmstead is believed to have sourced water from Shavercombe Brook. Phillip’s Leat was abandoned sometime around 1877 and is just over 1.5km long. The original farmstead leat was around 430 metre long. Phillip’s Leat delimits the east side of the main buildings of the farmsteadBetween Annexe (2) and the Mill Building on Phillip’s Leat is this slab, which may just be a toppled upright, but might conceivably once been a clapperThere is a suggestion (National Trust) that Phillip’s Leat was brought deliberately to this building for a specific purpose such as milling – hence the author has annotated it as Mill Building on the sketch mapIn Phillip’s Leat and adjacent to the Mill Building is a vertical groove in a rock, which may perhaps suggest a some industrial use ? The groove, however, does not appear to exhibit any wearLooking down onto the grooved rockInside east wall of the Mill Building, which is adjacent to Phillip’s Leat is this hole. It is roughly square in section and extending horizontally into the outer wall – could it have housed a mill-shaft from a waterwheel?Close up of the square sectioned hole. Is it a practical notion that an activity such as milling could have been a later development at the farmstead either after or towards the end of the occupation ? The author is rather sceptical about this interpretationGerrard describes the Mill Building as a single compartment cross passage rectangular structure….possibly associated with an early phase of the medieval occupation”. It is full of rock tumbleThe Mill Building comprises several courses of drystone masonryThe Mill Building from the south with a particularly well-preserved 3 or 4 courses of stonework surviving in placesThe Mill Building looking east towards Hen Tor. The internal has been measured as 6m long by 3.5m wide.The Mill Building surviving inner and outer wall faces indicate a wall width of 1.20m. The centre of the structure is at SX58993 65541 Edge of the Mill Building looking northLooking south from the Mill Building onto a small yard area, where there appears to be a structure which might represent a Platform (as annotated on the sketch map)It is thought that the sub-rectangular structure which measures 7.5m by 3.3m, might have been used for threshing or dryingTypical walling near the southern end of the farmsteadRock tumble near Phillip’s Leat and the Mill BuildingOutbuilding (2) at the southern end of the farmstead is a rectangular drystone structure with 1m wide walls standing up to 0.9m high. Outbuilding (2) has an internal area of 6.1m by 3.5mThe function of Outbuilding (2) might have been for storage or an animal house. It is centred at SX58910 65531To the west of the farmstead is this Pillow Mound, evidence of warrening activity in the area. This feature is 12 metres by 6 metres by 0.9 metres high and is located at SX59014 65490Summit of Hen Tor looking west across the farmstead towards Hen Tor Meadow and beyond to Ditsworthy WarrenHen Tor stack on the south sideView of Hentot House from Hen TorView of Mill Building from Hen Tor
