A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
April 30, 2025
Willand Head (or Willenhead) Longhouse and Farmstead
The centre of ‘Willand Head’ farmstead is shown on the 19th century Tithe Map as comprising a Longhouse and three associated outbuildings with several small enclosures around a small irregular shaped yard. The associated Tithe Apportionment names it as ‘Will and Head’ (a rather amusing typographical error) and lists Field Number 1296 as ‘House Offices’. The Tithe (Map and Apportionment) shows the farmstead comprised 17 fields which were set to arable or pasture.
Historically, Willand Head was mentioned as ‘Wyllenhed’ in 1443, ‘Willuhede’ in 1502 (where it appears in the accounts of the Forester of the east Quarter), ‘Wyllinghed’ in 1555 and was the home of ‘Richard atte Willenheade’ in 1333. Aside these names, Willand Head has also been known as Willanhead, Willand Head and Willenhead throughout the 19th Century. The last farmers at Willand Head were William Hutchings and his son John in the early years of the 20th century, after which the farmhouse (Longhouse) then became the property of a Mr Bateson who partly demolished it prior to rebuilding work which was never started (ref: Eric Hemery, High Dartmoor, Page 707).
A visit to farmstead and subsequent post was made possible by kind permission provided by Gordon and Julie Mortimore of Higher Shapley Farm who allowed the author access. Many thanks
Bibliography
Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England(RCHME) – (1987-1993) – Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, S. Probert (Report – Survey). SDV350839.
J.Gover, A.Mawer & F.Stenton (1931), The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 427 (Monograph). SDV1312.
There are four buildings associated with the Willand Head Farmstead as shown on the annotated tithe map. Three of these buildings are still extantWilland Head is located within the Parish of Chagford. Note the annotated map shows the farmstead as being at the end of a lane leading away from Shapley. In the 21st century, Willand Head has been subsumed into Higher Shapley Farm and is on private land, with no public accessApproaching Willand Head from Higher Shapley across a field called Home Close. As Willand Head is approached, the large Barn (to the north) and an Outbuilding (to the south) are the obvious remaining features, which are both in surprisingly good conditionWilland Head as defined on the 1838 Tithe Map and Apportionment. Most of the field systems are still extant today and the western border still delineates the farmstead from open moorland of Hurston Ridge.In 1838, at the time of the Tithe, the landowner was Simon Newcombe Neck and the occupier was William Ellis. Field sizes varied between around 1 acre to 4 acres. The Barn at Willand Head has been well maintained and has a metal corrugated roof. A smaller corrugated building has been constructed alongside it.Various views of the Barn – inside and outsideThis is the probable census from 1841 for Willenhead (note the spelling). Due to the handwriting (and spelling), the author isn’t 100% sure about this entry. That said, if the census does relate to the famstead it seems that in the 3 years since the Tithe (1838), there was as new occupant (Daniel Frost). In 1843, Henry Soper paid Tithes for both Higher Shapley and Willand HeadThe yard area to the south of the Barn (and north of the Longhouse)The Longhouse with the Barn beyond the yard. The RCHME define the building, as measuring “18.5m SW-NE by 5.5m NW-SW with unmortared boulder and slab walls 0.8m wide standing to a maximum height of 1.9m”.The upper (dwelling) end of the LonghouseThe central area, formerly containing the lower side of the cross passage and part of the shippon has been demolished – assumed to be due to Mr Bateson (ref; Hemery)RCHME description: “The dwelling, approximately 7.5m long has a short stub wall protruding from its SW side which possibly enclosed a former stairway in the SW corner, however no stairs are visible. Two upright slabs which with further semi-recumbent slab formed the jambs and lintel of a fireplace adjoining the cross passage wall”. These features as described can all be seen in the photograph above. Some of the walling is in danger of collapse due to mature treesThe only building shown on the Tithe which is no longer extant is a small squarish structure, which the author assumes may and been a W.CThe author has been unable to located census information for 1851 and 1861, which might suggest the farmstead may well have been unoccupied. The 1871 census shows the young Endacott family were occupantsThe southern most building of the farmstead between the fields annotated 1297 and 1298 on the TitheThe outbuilding is in remarkable conditionThis building has a corrugated roof and the walls are mortared. This building (if it is the original) appears to have been well maintained over the last 180/190 years.Inside the outbuildingInside the outbuilding which is partly mortaredOn 13th September 1880, the Western Times announced the sale of Livestock and Implements – was this part of selling the whole farm ?The Shippon end of the LonghouseNorth east corner of the Shippon. In 1881, the farmstead was known as Willenhead and the Hern family (two brothers and their mother), were the occupantsAt the north east corner of the Shippon, there is a small granite rollerClose up of the granite rollerIn 1891, the occupants of the farmstead were the Hutchings, who according to Hemery were still there into the early years of the 20th century before it became the property of a Mr BatesonWilland Head as seen from the northThe main lane and gateway as it enters open moorland – note the ‘Private – no access sign’. The author would like to re-iterate his thanks to Gordon and Julie Mortimore for allowing access
