A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
February 24, 2025
Lambsdown Farmstead
‘Lambs Down’ is referred to in the 13th century Buckfast Cartulary as ‘Lamescumbe’, ‘Lombescumbe’ and ‘Lomescome’. Further to this, there is also a reference to it being known as ‘Lemson’ (Lineham – 1965).
On the 19th century Tithe Map (from 1843) it is known as ‘Lambsdown’, which is how the area is annotated on modern OS Maps. The Tithe Map shows a range of buildings around the east, north and west sides of a square yard with another building, possibly the farmhouse on the south side. There are also two small rectangular enclosures adjoining between the house and the lane. The Tithe Apportionment for ‘Lambsdown’ shows 12 plots of land covering around 250 acres with Plot Numbers 261, 262 and 263 being annotated as ‘Houses & Gardens’.
In 1968, Haynes describes Lambsdown as: “A very ruined farm, now turfed over with two apparent dwelling houses, one divided into at least three rooms, with remains of outbuildings and gardens”. He further states the walls were : “probably mortared” and “a chimney was still standing 40 years ago”. A Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division survey, in 1979, appears to only consider three buildings which contradicts the Tithe Map. This survey also, contradicts the Haynes survey 11 years previously insofar as it states: “No sub-divisions are visible in any of the buildings”.
Following some further research, the author has found out the names of the occupiers of Lambsdown in 1841 (census) and in 1843 (Tithe Apportionment). However, it would appear that there are no entries relating directly to Lambsdown on the 1851 census, suggesting it may have been abandoned by then. Indeed, by 1873 (OS Map) all the buildings appear to have completely disappeared. Of interest is a nearby mine, Caroline Wheal Prosper was first documented in 1854 (but would have been operating prior to that). The main years of the mine appear to be 1855 and 1856 when dressing floors, wheelpits and buildings constructed. The author has an unconfirmed theory, that the stone from the farm buildings was used for construction at the mine. The timeline fits albeit there is no 100% confirmatory evidence to support this. This post records some main features of the farm, the moorland section of the mine and other points of interest from the immediate area. If any reader of this post can provide a positive link between the demise of the farm and the operating years of the mine, the author would be most grateful in hearing from them.
Bibliography
Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 294 (Monograph). SDV1312.
Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.
Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 60 (Un-published). SDV150434.
Linehan, C. D., 1965, Deserted Sites on Dartmoor, Devon, 172 (Article in Serial). SDV217992.
Dr Tom Greeves (22/06/1983) – Clapper Bridge (Worksheet). SDV170411
Annotated Tithe Map showing Lambsdown Farm and its location relative to the Dean Burn clapper and Caroline Wheal Prosper moorland operations, tramway and dressing floor. Note the track shown between the clapper bridge, Lambsdown Farm and the moorland gate is still extant and is a good route through the area to explore the items and features covered in this post The Tithe Apportionment for ‘Lambsdown’ shows 12 plots of land covering around 250 acres with Plot Numbers 261, 262 and 263 being annotated as ‘Houses & Gardens’.Comparing the Tithe Map for ‘Lambsdown’ Farm (Plot Numbers 261, 262 and 263) and an OS map from 1873 shows that the buildings disappeared over a 30 year period between 1843 (Tithe) and 1873 (Map)The Tithe Apportionment for ‘Lambsdown’ shows the 12 plots of land covering around 250 acres were occupied by William Waycott* and John Tolchard. Two years prior to the tithe on the 1841 census, Lambsdown was occupied by William Thomas (agricultural labourer), his wife Elizabeth, and their 10 month old son James. They also had a lodger called Eliza Clay who was 20. *Waycott appears to have been a gentleman farmer as his name appears on numerous tithe entries for both Buckfastleigh and the Holne parishesLeaving Lambsdown Farm briefly, this post starts at Dean Burn Clapper, where the track to Lambsdown Farm from Cross Furzes passes. The two slabs of the clapper are worth investigations as they are inscribed with various dates and initialsLooking at the inscriptionsTwo dates inscribed on the clapper are “1705” on the eastern slab and “1972” on the western slab. William Crossing records that there are also the initials “GR” are inscribed and the letters “BDA”. These latter inscriptions aren’t easy to discern.On the east slab there is also the date “1737” inscribed plus a more crude inscription which reads “TB 1968”Water added to the eastern slab in an attempt to enhance the “TB 1968” inscriptions.Close up of “1737” date. It is recorded on the Dartmoor HER that there is very worn date “1601” (possibility) above the “1737”.The locations of the inscriptions.Taking the track from Dean Burn Clapper to Lambsdown Farm, a good indicator of approaching the farm is this memorial bench. A dedication on the bench reads: In Memory Of DONALD & QUEENIE PEARCE who loved and cared for LambsdownJust after the bench and slightly uphill (west) the location of where the farm used to be can be found. For the purposes of this post the author has annotated the four ruined foundations as 1-4 as per the above map The outline of Building 1, barely breaking the turf. The building is orientation approx north west – south eastThis large stone and small amounts of rubble surrounding it is the only evidence that a Building (1) was here. The lack of walls, even at foundation level does suggest the stone clearance here was quite substantial with the probable reuse (maybe locally) The centre of Building 1 was recorded at SX69800 66026The foundations of Building 2 are orientated north east – south westAt the north west end of Building 2 by a tree there is evidence of where the structure was cut into the hillside, albeit by only around a metre. The centre of Building 2 was recorded at SX69787 66026Building 3 was cut into the hillside on its western side. Buildings 1-3 were all rectangular and were more of less the same size (between 19m and 22.5m long by between 3.8m to 6.3m wide), grouped about a yardThe south east end of Building 3, near a rather magnificent group of trees. The centre of Building 3 was recorded at SX69779 66010The smallest building would have been number 4. Evidence of walling at Building 4The southern edge of Building 4Building 4 is centred around SX69799 65997The above photograph is a general view of where the farm once stood. Quite a clearance !Another general farm viewLambsdown Farm is known to have been occupied at the 1841 census and the 1843 tithe. However, by the 1851 census, there is no evidence of the farm at all. That said, there is an entry in the census (see above), which records ‘Tin Mines Cottages – two houses uninhabited’ next to an entry for Wallaford, which is around 2km from Lambsdown Farm. These dwellings may relate to an abandoned Lambsdown Farm with the mine being Caroline Wheal Prosper. The other mine nearby was Kingswood, but that was a copper and/or uranium mine, which is known to have been worked in the early 20th century (an adit was driven in 1918). The author speculates the census entry is the abandoned Lambsdown Farm and within a few years the owners of Caroline Wheal Prosper took the stone from the farm to construct buildings, wheelpits, a tramway and a dressing floor in Dean Burn valley (Larkham Wood)Close (to the south west) of Lambsdown Farm are these rather magnificent treesTree damage – lightning ?The trees are located next to the main trackLooking back to the farmSmall droveway – the plot of land to the left (south west) was called ‘Pieces’. The droveway exits onto the main large plot called LambsdownWhen leaving the farm heading in a south westerly direction towards a gate which exits onto open moorland, the line of an old tramway (when the bracken is low) of the Caroline Wheal Prosper Mine can just about be discerned.The main activity of Caroline Wheal Prosper were at the dressing floors which sit just above river level on the north side of a small tributary’s confluence with Dean Burn. The second area of earthworks, which comprises a shaft, an adit together and spoil heaps is sited 700m to the WSW, 130m higher up the valley on Lambs Down. The two areas are joined by this tramway.The inclined tramway runs from a point adjacent to the north side of a shaft (William’s), down to the dressing floors 680m to the east beside the Dean Burn. Unfortunately, a visit to the dressing floor, where all the mine structures are located isn’t possible unless permission can be obtained to visit the area.The tramway, clearly represents an enormous investment of effort and money, was built in the expectation that a large quantity of ore was going to be raised up William’s Shaft which would need transporting down to the dressing floors. The tramway would have been part of the known £8000 investment between 1854 and 1857The only known shaft from Caroline Wheal Prosper. The shaft was named after Mine Captain WilliamsWilliam’s Shaft measures 16 metres by 14 metres by 3 metres deep. The shaft is located at SX69495 65641On the north east side of the shaft is an opening (at SX69499 65642), which is thought to be the entrance to a shallow adit38 metres north east of William’s Shaft is the opening of shallow adit which is depicted on the abandoned mine planThe adit portal is a mere 6 metres below William’s ShaftThe entrance of Shallow Adit is located at SX69535 65660Inside Shallow AditWith torchlight the extent of Shallow Adit is evident, which extends up to William’s Shaft. In 1855, the mine was mentioned as ‘likely to have a large and productive lode for tin’ (ref: Mining Journal 14th July 1855). A short distance downhill from the Adit there is a 36m long finger shaped spoil tip, which is believed where there was the commencement of driving another aditEnd of the spoil, which is around 150m from William’s ShaftTree at the end of the spoil tipPossible Trial Shafts and Earthworks near William’s ShaftPassing through the south west gate of Lambsdown onto open moorland, a number of stone dams have been built, crossing a small gullyLooking across the small gully with the dams towards the Caroline Wheal Prosper
