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Merrivale Bridge Settlement

Some upright stones down by the River Walkham

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Pilgrim P
Pilgrim Sep 22, 2013 22:14:03

On Explorer OL 28, at about SX E55050 N75100 - no more than a 50 yards North of the old bridge over the Walkham at Merrivale - stand 2 and a bit stones. The 2 upright stones are poking out of the bracken, and the third - the nearest - is not.

These stones run (sounds exciting, but the three stones are maybe within 15 metres of each other) parallel to the course of the Walkham, a few metres up the east bank. The field in which they sit is barb-wire bound, and clearly signposted as Private Property.

Further up the slope, on the south side of the road, lie the well-known Plague Rows, and their attendant settlement, while to the north, further up the Walkham valley, lies the well-documented settlement of Little Mis Tor West (Butler, 1991. Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume 2: The North).

It amy well be that my knowledge (or perception) of the relationship between stone rows, settlements and water in this part of the world has decieved me into posting this query. In which case, I apologise in advance.

I could post a photo, but I don't want to sully the relevant image gallery with doubtful stones. It may be that these stones are just stones - or part of some more modern attempt at animal husbandry.

Does anyone local have any ideas?

Peace

Pilgrim

X

L Lubin
Lubin Sep 22, 2013 23:18:50
Replying to Pilgrim

Pilgrim wrote:
On Explorer OL 28, at about SX E55050 N75100 - no more than a 50 yards North of the old bridge over the Walkham at Merrivale - stand 2 and a bit stones. The 2 upright stones are poking out of the bracken, and the third - the nearest - is not.

These stones run (sounds exciting, but the three stones are maybe within 15 metres of each other) parallel to the course of the Walkham, a few metres up the east bank. The field in which they sit is barb-wire bound, and clearly signposted as Private Property.

Further up the slope, on the south side of the road, lie the well-known Plague Rows, and their attendant settlement, while to the north, further up the Walkham valley, lies the well-documented settlement of Little Mis Tor West (Butler, 1991. Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume 2: The North).

It amy well be that my knowledge (or perception) of the relationship between stone rows, settlements and water in this part of the world has decieved me into posting this query. In which case, I apologise in advance.

I could post a photo, but I don't want to sully the relevant image gallery with doubtful stones. It may be that these stones are just stones - or part of some more modern attempt at animal husbandry.

Does anyone local have any ideas?

Peace

Pilgrim

X

The field never used to be private and as far as I am aware still isn't but is owned by the same farmer who also owns Vixen Tor so she has most likely put signs up there as well. She did have the stiles removed a few years back but was under the impression they were put back as it is marked as access land on the map. The same farmer used to purposely put a bull on the same piece of land when there was an excavation going on further up the Walkham to stop people taking a short cut across it. I have been to these stones in the past and a little further up the hill is a very large recumbent stone which looks like it could quite easily have stood where it has fallen.

R Rhiannon
Rhiannon Sep 23, 2013 16:35:25
Replying to Pilgrim

Suffice to say I haven't been where you're talking about. But I have been to Merrivale, and there are the very slight remains of tin workings along the stream there. So do you have to be careful if the stones are next to a stream? As they might be to do with something industrial, requiring the stream.

or not of course. But it's a thought to bear in mind perhaps.