A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
December 13, 2024
Holming Beam Farm
The first records of Holming Beam Farm are mentioned by Eric Hemery in High Dartmoor. He records: On 10th February 1808, a lease was granted by the Duchy (London Records) for a farm to “William Bough of Church Row, Limehouse in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer”; the land was bounded on the east and west respectively by “Whoming Beam Path” and “Blacka Brook”.
The start of the 19th Century has been called ‘The Improving Period’ due to the belief by land owners that Dartmoor could produce lucrative crops and thus ‘improve’ the land. No doubt, the lease granted by the Duchy in 1808 was part of this concept. One of the early pioneers of the ‘improving’ idea was Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt who advocated the growing of flax on his Tor Royal estate.
The only known tenants of the farm, discovered by the author were Joseph Wills, his wife Dinah (nee Eva) and their two daughters Mary and Susan (they had a son also, who died as a baby). The farm, appears on the Lydford (Forest) Tithe map and apportionments of 1839 showing five enclosures and a path leading westward to Fice’s Well and the nearby Clapper Bridge. The Wills family were resident at the time of the Tithe but there were no tenants at the farm by the 1841 census. Amusingly, the farm was referenced as ‘Home in Being Farm’ on the 1841 census, suggesting perhaps the enumerator wasn’t local!
By tracing the family history of the Wills, it is probable that they were resident at the farm approximately between 1835 and 1840. Joseph Wills originally was recorded as being a miner from Sheepstor Parish with Dinah (Eva) residing in the Walkhampton Parish. There is a record of Wheal Mist Torr from March 1836, which places Joseph as working at that location just a few hundred metres from the farm, thus: “…there are two men employed here…..one of the men was called Wills who lives in a little hovel, which was once an old account house belonging to the mine”. It is interesting to note that that farm was referred to as an old mine account house.
It would appear that the extension of the prison and its farm land had an impact on the farm with new walls being built partially over the walls of the farm shown by the 1839 Tithe Map. A survey of the area 1882-3 shows the prison enclosures virtually as they appear today, with the field which being known as ‘Holming Beam Field’.
Bibliography
Eric Hemery (1983) – High Dartmoor – page 376
Probert, S. A. J. (2002) – Dartmoor Prison Farm, Devon. An Archaeological Survey and valuation (Report – Survey). SDV364452
Gillard, M (2022), Millstone east of Blackbrook River, (Worksheet). SDV364927
James Crowden (2008) – The Bad Winter – Fice’s Well (page 30).
Dartmoor Chris – pers conv. – assistance with information about Joseph Wills (miner)
Michael Bennie (1995) – Walking the Stories and Legends of Dartmoor – page 23
Holming Beam Farm is located a short distance to the east-north-east of Fice’s (Fitz) Well. It was probably occupied for just a few decades from around 1810 to 1840 approximately. Little remains of the farm today except some low turf-covered walls. Of interest in the area, aside the farm and Fice’s Well there is lovely clapper across the Blackbrook (Blackabrook) river, a small millstone, a leat which can be traced from the river, some extensive walling dating from the mid-19th century which were once part of the prison farm and not too far away the extensive tinworking of Holming Beam Mine (aka Wheal Mistor). More information on the mine can be found at: Holming Beam Mine / Wheal Mistor – Dartmoor ExplorationsThe tithe map and apportionment for Lydford (Dartmoor Forest) from 1839 showing Fice’s Well and the Plots for the Farm. The occupier was Joseph Wills who was a miner. His wife was Dinah Eva and they have (at least two children).Holming Beam Farm is relation to Fice’s Well. The Farm is located at the corner of a substantially built mid-19th century wallFice’s (or Fitz) Well. The historical legend about the well relates to a ‘pixie-led’ couple Sir John Fitz of Tavistock and his wife. The legend goes something like this….’they were riding across the moor when the mist came down, and the pixie’s got to work, and before they knew it they were hopelessly lost. The only remedy for those who have been pixie-led is to turn their coats and pockets inside out, and this is what Sir John and his wife did. The mist immediately cleared and they discovered that they were by a spring. They refreshed themselves and then found their way home. In gratitude, Sir John had the spring enclosed and covered’.Inscription I.F 1568. The ‘I’ is for John as was the custom back in the 16th century. The spring is now called Fice’s Well (a corruption of Fitz).A short distance from Fice’s Well is this fine clapper across the Blackbrook (Blackabrook) river. No doubt this was regularly used by Joseph Wills and Dinah Eva in the 1830’s. The clapper bridge has been rebuilt (William Crossing records that the bridge was swept away in 1873). The clapper bridge has two openings and a total span of 4.6m. The deck stones (recorded by Tom Greeves in 1980) “…..appear to be relatively recent additions to an older set of abutments and central pillar”.The clapper bridge from the east side of the river looking back towards Fice’s Well. The bridge allegedly lies on the former route between Tavistock and Chagford.The above poem by James Crowden (The Bad Winter) is a beautiful poetic summary of the well, its legend and the nearby clapperThe Blackbrook River to the north of the clapper has evidence of tinworkings. There are also some un-named rocks here at SX57757 76024. It is a lovely quiet spot worth strolling through if visiting he farm or indeed the mine nearbyBlackbrookNear the leat take off point (which was the source if water for the farm), this rather small but well worked millstone can be found. Recorded by M. Gillard in 2022, this millstone was “First noted by A. Coleman – groundworks contractor for Southwest Peatland Partnership and brought to attention of M. Gillard – Historic Environment Officer to the SWPP”The millstone is 0.8m diameter, 0.4m thick (Gillard) and is located at SX57812 76163. The central hole on top side of stone is 0.15m wide by 0.1m deep. The historic use of the millstone is unclear This bend in the Blackbrook is the take off point for the leat which led to Holming Beam Farm. The NGR at this location is SX57771 76216The course of the leat can easily be followed. The leat runs quite close to the river inigtiallyFollowing the leat. The age of the leat is unknown, but may well pre-date the farm insofar as it extends to the tinworkings associated with Holming Beam Mine (which is known to have closed by 1810), where the water may well have been used to wash away the over-burden. It is possible the farm was located, so as to be close to an existing leat, thus they had a ready made pot water leat.The farm as seen on Google Earth and from a late 19th century (circa 1873) map. The Holming Beam Field is shown on maps from circa 1890The Lydford (Dartmoor Forest) Tithe Apportionment enclosures (27-31) superimposed onto a Google Earth imageThe only known tenants (to the author) were Joseph Wills and his wife Dinah. From research, it can be only deduced with 100% certainty that they lived at the Farm from 1835 (baptism record of their daughter Mary) to 1839 (date of the Tithe apportionment). The history of the farm as well as that of Joseph and Dinah makes interesting reading. It would seem that Joseph and Dinah lived at Cherry Brook House before Holming Beam Farm then (probably) East Wheal Lucky afterwards. Amusingly, the farm was recorded as ‘Home in Being Farm’ on the 1841 census.Holming Beam Farm in December 2024. Most of the walling appears to have been robbed, possibly as part of the prison walling built towards the end of the 19th centuryThe low turf-covered walls of the outer enclosure walls are around 1.2m wide and 0.5m highThe marriage certificate of Jospeh and Dinah with their ‘mark’. The name EVA was synonymous with the Mis Tor Lane and Foggintor areas in the 19th century. Joseph was a miner from Sheepstor Parish (albeit he originated from St. Hilary in Cornwall). One wonders how they met ? Joseph may well have been working at Keaglesbrough Mine perhaps ?The site of the original farmhouse isn’t obvious. Probert records it as being a ruined single-roomed building measuring 14m north to south by 4.5m wideThe most likely location of the former farmhouse was at SX58113 76075Around where the farmhouse building was located are a number of irregularly shaped enclosures marked by banks up to 1.5m wide and 0.6m high.Joseph Wills and Dinah Eva were known to have been living in the area (Cherry Brook Cottage) in 1834 as indicated by the baptism of their daughter Susan. Date is 27th July 1834Joseph Wills and Eva Dinah were known to have been living at Holming Beam Farm in 1835 as indicated by the baptism of another daughter Elizabeth. Date is 31st May 1835The picture is from the approx centre of the farm looking southTowards the south west of the farm the rather large wall of ‘Holming Beam Field’ is located. One assume stone from the farm was used in the construction of the wallHolming Beam Field wall. Great Mis Tor can be just seen on the horizonHolming Beam Field wall. Was the field beyond named after the farm which the wall bisects ?Several massively built banks at the southern edge of the farm may represent later attempts to create a pond (ref: Probert)The possible pool looking westwardsThe farm appears to have been empty by the 1841 census (known as ‘Home in Being Farm’). This ties in with Dinah being known as the tenant of East Wheal Lucky (near Rundlestone) in 1842Lovely views towards Great Mis Tor The possible pool and southern walls of the farmAnother general view of the farmThe northern wall of the farm, showing how wide and substantial they probably once wereSo what became of Joseph and Dinah ? By 1842 (Lydford – Dartmoor Forest Tithe), Dinah Eva was the ‘occupier’ of East Wheal Lucky, near Rundlestone. Why did she (and presumably Joseph) leave Holming Beam Farm (around 1840)? The last piece of history relating to Joseph appears to be from the 1851 census, which has him at Beerferris (Bere Ferres) as a visitor. It is assumed this is the ‘same’ Joseph Wills as he is lodging with an EVA family. He most likely was working at one of the mines in the Tavy valley. There was also a John Wills lodging who might have been his son or nephew. It wasn’t unusual for miners to work away during this period – Dinah may well have still been living near Rundlestone
