A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
November 19, 2024
Riddipit (Reddipitt) Farm
Riddipit (or Reddipitt) is a complex of ruined farm buildings located close to (east) of the River Meavy around 100 metres north east of Leather Tor Bridge. The original approach to the farmstead, still being used by walkers today, must have once been on the (cart) track which is sandwiched between the farmstead and the river. Access must have also once been achieved from the east by a sunken lane which leads uphill parallel to Riddipit Stream leading into fields.
The farm complex comprises two Longhouses, three outshuts and other various buildings, some of which may be medieval in origin. Pottery dating from 16th and 17th centuries have been found at the farmstead.
Bibliography
R.G. Haynes,1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 117 (unpublished)
Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Blowing House, 225
Layout of Riddipit Farmstead (and nearby environs) showing the key features covered in this post. The author has labelled the small structures next to the two Longhouses as ‘Outshuts’ which may not be the truly correct designation (some Dartmoor observers have labelled them as ‘ancilliary’ buildings or ‘outhouses’)Riddipit (Redapit, Reedapit, Reedipitt, Reddapitt), Keagles Borough and Vinney Corner tenants. Vinney Corner was a field mentioned on the Tithe which was adjacent to the Reddipit FarmsteadLeather Tor bridge is a (relatively) modern clapper built bridge (ref: Burnard). Leather Tor Bridge was not marked on the 1840 tithe map but shown on the 1873 OS mapRiddipit Clapper, which is located just beyond the small rapids in this pictureClose up of the foundations of Riddipit Clapper as see from SX56928 6999619th Century maps of Riddipit, labelled then as ‘Riddy Pit’ and likely to have been abandoned by this time. The farmstead is no longer shown on OS Maps. First view of Reddipit Farmstead when approaching from the south via Leather Tor Bridge. The first ruin to see is the Southern Longhouse which was the main house. Uphill from the Longhouse are two OutshutsThe Southern Longhouse has three rooms, with possible sub-division of the longest room.The drystone walls of the Southern Longhouse stand up to 1.2 metres high. The interior is rubble filled and towards the lower (Shippon) end is covered in brambles as well as bracken.Outshut, immediately to the east of the Southern Longhouse. This Outshut building has a 1.6 metre high drystone revetmentThe Outshut is located at SX57012 70073. It shares a 1.7m wide wall with its neighbouring (northerly) OutshutThe neighbouring (northern) Outshut has within its entrance a 1.35 metre high gatepost. The centre of the Outshut was measured at SX57010 70083The gatepost at the entrance to the (northern) Outshut has an iron hinge at the top. The lower hinge has been removed leaving a hole.The gatepost is located at SX57009 70081Reddipitt on the Tithe Map. Annotated on the map are the Tinners’ Mill, Potato Cave, Keaglesborough Mine and Vinney CornerThe Riddipit (Reddipitt) Estate as recorded on the Walkhampton Tithe. The occupier was Anthony Pearse with Sir Ralph Lopes being the landownerView (looking west) down the Southern Longhouse. The track to Leather Tor Bridge can be seen just beyond the fencelineThe western end of the Southern LonghouseUphill end of the Southern Longhouse with two Outshuts beyondThis narrow slit at (former) ground level at the western (lower) end of Southern Longhouse may be a drain. Close up of the drain located at SX56982 70074Division within the Southern LonghouseAnother view of the (southern) OutshutAnother view of the (southern) Outshut with the gatepost of the other (northern) Outshut beyondAnother view of the (northern) Outshut. R.G. Haynes in 1966 suggested this narrow structure may have been a dairyThe two Outshuts side-by-side sharing a 1.7m wide wallThe northern Outshut looking towards the Southern LonghouseClose up of the (northern) OutshutOn top of the revetment walling of the (southern) Outshut looking west to the Southern LonghouseReddipit Stream which bisects the siteIn the centre of the farmyard is a small ancillary building. There is little walling left of this building. What is left is only 0.7m highThe small building is 3 m by 1.8mThis rounded vertical stone is in the doorway of the small building in the middle of the yard. The stone is 0.6 metres in diameter by 0.33 metres high and in the centre is an iron pin which is level with the top of the stone.The rounded stone contains two small holes as well as the iron pin. The two small circular holes are 3 cms in diameter and 4 cms deepClose up of the top of the rounded stone. The exact use of this stone is unknown to the author but is speculated as having been used as a counter weight possibly connected with the nearby mining operations at KeaglesboroughTo the south of the rounded stone, there used to be a broken stone trough (now missing). The main part of the trough measured 0.49 metres long by 0.27 metres wide and 0.11 metres deep. Picture courtesy of Dartmoor Chris with thanksNorthern LonghouseNorthern Longhouse with a possible Outshut beyondNorthern Longhouse looking west towards the lane and the MeavyThe centre of the Northern Longhouse is at SX57023 70108Northern Longhouse is built against a revetted slope and includes three rooms The northern wall of the building (see picture) is up 1.6 metres high, whilst the others average 0.4 metres highR.G. Haynes in the 1966, recorded that in one of these rooms of the Northern Longhouse is a recess which rounds one of the corners and could have been a chimney. To the authors untrained eye, this feature in the above picture is the closest discernible to the Haynes description.R.G. Haynes suggested that the Northern Longhouse pre-dates the Southern Longhouse and was the original longhouse of the farmThe outshut at the eastern end of the Northern Longhouse (Gerrard) measures 4.5 metres long by 4 metres wide and is denoted by a 1.5 metre wide and 0.3 metre high earthwork.The outshut of the Northern Longhouse is located at SX57033 70106Riddipit Lane looking eastNext to the entrance to Riddipit Lane is a possible platform, complete with steps and a possible drain (hole in wall)The possible drainClose up of the steps onto the Platform The steps are located at SX57032 70103The original use of this Platform (if that is what it is) is unknown to the authorGatepost on top of the Platform which is located above (south west) of the Outshut associated with the Northern LonghouseOn top of the platformGatepost, which looks like it was part of the enclosing the Platform. It is located at SX57036 70110Garden at Reddipit looking north – marked as area ‘925’ on Tithe MapGarden at Reddipit looking southGaren – Northern Longhouse located behind the walling on the right hand side of the photographA small drystone building structure attached to the field wall revetment to the east of the farmstead. Gerrard records its interior as: “…. 3.8 metres long by 3 metres wide with a wall standing up to 0.8 metres wide and 1 metre high. The revetment wall to which it is attached is 1.5 metres high at this point”. This building is one of a pair and is located at SX57081 70097. It is located near to Riddipit Lane and as such may have been associated with the farmsteadThe second outbuilding is very overgrown and is similar to its nearby neighbour. This outbuilding is located at SX57097 70095The walling of what was probably Riddipit Tinners’ Mill. Riddipit Tinners’ Mill – marked by post with white topRichard Hansford Worth (1940) in his publication, The Dartmoor Blowing House, stated : “The probable remains of a Blowing House consisting of one wall, situated on the left bank of the Meavy, 267 yards above Leather Tor Bridge. There are four mortar stones, three of which have been used for paving a track at a wet spot”. The four mortar stones are no longer extant Possible mortar stone within the ruins of the Tinners’ MillPossible Mortar StoneStile next to the track, which leads to the Potato CaveThe Riddipit Potato Cave (or hull) which comprising of a simple tunnel dug in to a bank. The entrance has granite jambs and measures 0.73m wide and 1.12m high. On the western side of the doorway is a protruding iron bolt and on the inside of the eastern side is a hinge (Gerrard). Located at SX57105 70338Inside Riddipit Potato Cave (or hull). It measures 9.7m long, 1.95m wide and up to 1.8m high (Gerrard)
