A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
February 8, 2025
Ponsworthy
Ponsworthy is a very quiet hamlet located just over two miles from its more well known neighbour Widecombe-in-the-Moor. It lies in the steep valley of the West Webburn River and the narrow width of the bridge here, which has 17th century origins, is probably one of the reasons for this beautiful hamlet remains quiet and relatively untouched by tourism.
To the south of the hamlet are a row of picturesque thatched cottages including an old Blacksmiths Forge, climbing up a steep hill, which are often the subject of calendars and postcards, near an old ford known as ‘The Splash’. To the north, near the river, is an old mill and old bakehouse, which has been converted to a house. The hamlet also boasts, Ponsworthy House, built c.1800 and an old post office.
Bibliography
M.Beeson and M.Masterman (1979), An Archaeological Survey of Enclosed Land in Widecombe-In-The-Moor Parish, Vol IV, 848
Helen Harris (1968), Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor, 226-7
C.Henderson and E. Jervoise (1938), Old Devon Bridges, 34
Mike Brown – Field guide (volume 25) – Dartmeet Area, The Commons North of the Dart Gorge
19th century map with the locations of inscribed stones in the hamlet annotated19th century cottage, with former Blacksmith’s forge at west end a short distance up hill from ‘The Splash’. The forge was working up until the end of second World War. Note the benchmark on the bottom corner stone of the buildingBenchmark B.M 772.4Ponsworthy Splash, Clapper Bridge believed 18th or early century. It is a footbridge of 2 spans and has a rough central pier.Forder Bridge Cross, also known as Ponsworthy Ford or Ponsworthy SplashCrossing the footbridge at ‘The Splash’Forder Cottages (the pair immediately west of the Splash behind the yellow car)County bridge ‘C’ stone in wall to the north of the ‘Splash’ and to the south of Ponsworthy Bridge. Date from early 19th centuryClose up of the ‘C’ Stone, which is located at SX70055 73831The ‘C’ stone delimits the extent of roadway originally maintained by the County on the south side of Ponsworthy Bridge. There is another ‘C’ stone to the north of the bridgeHome made jams and chutneys for sale at ‘The Cottage’. The cottage is depicted on the tithe map and according to the owner (1979) of the cottage this used to be a shoemaker’s house.Honeysuckle Cottage is believed to be from late 16th or early 17th century cottage. Its solid roughcast walls, are probably of stone rubble, although there could be some cob (ref: English Heritage)Rose Cottage – Built in 1888 after the previous building was burnt down (ref: Beeson and Masterton)Chimney pot by some old granite stepsPonsworthy Mill, now a house. Thought to date from probably late 16th century or early 17th century. The mill lies next to the West Webburn, and in 1968 (ref: Helen Harris), a 19th century sketch by Fred Foot in the Torquay Natural History Museum showed the mill had two water wheels in line, one after the other. The one remaining wheel (recorded 2021 by Historic England) probably dates from the 1760s. Old Landrover – a ‘doer-upper’A dated, inscribed stone at the north-east end of Ponsworthy Bridge. It is carved with 3 sets of figures, one above the other; the top set seems to read 16, the second set 66, and the third set 1911. In 1664, Ponsworthy Bridge was recorded as being in decay (ref: Henderson and Jervoise), so the ‘1666’ date, one assumes was a date when the bridge was restored. In the churchwardens accounts ledgers from Buckland-in-the-Moor is an entry recording the following: “payment made in 1664 – for & towards the repairing of Ponsworthy Bridge 5d” (ref: Mike Brown). The date ‘1911’ suggest that further work was carried out then. The stone appears to have been moved from the east side of the roadAlthough between ‘C’ stones (early 19th century) leading to and from the bridge delimited that the road and bridge were the responsibility of the county, how this related to the 17th century (ie 1666) and the accounts ledgers from Buckland-in-the-Moor might be unclear. That said, Mike Brown in his field guide (volume 25) – Dartmeet Area, The Commons North of the Dart Gorge might provide an insight into this. He records a very interesting observation, namely; “It is said that the parishes paid towards the maintenance of bridges within their ‘Hundred’, but this was not so, as a cursory glance at many of the churchwardens’ accounts entries will reveal, naming bridges far distant from the parish in whose ledgers the sums are recorded. The mistaken assumption has probably arisen because the monies for repairs were collected by the constables of the Hundreds. However, for these purposes the county was divided into North, South and East Divisions, each Division being responsible for raising money for the maintenance of the bridges within its jurisdiction. The Dartmoor area fell within the South Division”Ponsworthy Bridge crosses the West WebburnThe ‘modern’ bridge probably dates from early 19th century with 17th century abutments.The Quarter Sessions Order Books (in Devon Record Office) mention regular payments for repairs to Ponsworthy bridge between 1840 and 1854 (ref: Historic England)Looking across the bridge, north to south. Pink Cottage, is the oldest of three cottages here and is probably a fragment of an original 16th or 17th century houseCleave Cottage and the old Post Office believed to have been from early 19th century, are built on to Pink CottageStone trough outside the Old Post OfficePossible benchmark near the stone trough. 19th century maps indicated B.M 744.7 would have been inscribed here by the OS men.Wedge-shaped ‘C’ stone to the north of Ponsworthy Bridge. The stone is set into the garden wall of Ponsworthy House about 5 metres north-east of its south gateThis ‘C’ Stone is located as SX70180 73965
