More information : Carwether DMV, SX 102797, near "Devil's Jump". (1, 2)
Centred SX 10177967. A settlement of eighty poorly preserved long-houses with associated outbuildings and domestic enclosures, covering an area of approx 1 hectare on a north facing valley slope at 750 ft OD. An embanked drove-way skirts along the south west perimeter, and a hollow-way leads north east towards the valley bottom.
The houses, all oriented NE-SW, range from 10.0m to 24.0m long, average 4.5m wide with dry-stone walling, now turf covered, up to 1.0m high and 2.0m thick. Internal divisions are visible, and entrances occur in the middle of the side walls. Enclosure banks range from 0.3m to 0.8m high.
Faint traces of rig and furrow, probably coeval with the 'Vill',
extend to the north west and south east over an area of approximately 16 hectares.
Surveyed from OS APs (a) AT 1:2500. (3)
Carwether DMV situated on a slight NE slope at 227m above O.D., within an area of enclosed pasture. The DMV occupies 1 ha of ground extending for 160m along the contours.
A dozen buildings are identifiable ranging from 4m by 2.5m to 25m by 4.5m, though in the longest subdivision may indicate more than a single building. Four or five are probably longhouses, the others ancillary structures. All have drystone walling, 0.3m to 1m high and 1m to 2m thick, often difficult to define due to tumble which is now turf covered. Some small paddocks or garden plots can be associated with particular buildings; others within the area are isolated.
An early track (still in use in 1808 (a) but now a green road right of way) borders the south west side of the settlement. There are no obvious internal roads but a banked trackway leads from the northern extremity to a copious spring at the crest of the Devil's Jump valley. The spring has been diverted to a modern cistern a short distance to the south east.
Well over 40 ha. of small fields are probably associated with the
settlement, some exhibiting rig and furrow, but clearance of
boundaries is being undertaken on a casual basis.
No prehistoric huts exist within the area on plan SX 1079 but both rectilinear and curvilinear fields may have had a prehistoric origin augmented by further stone and earth at later periods. Traces of small strip fields, especially at SX 101796 and SX 107795 bear
similarity to those found in association with prehistoric settlement elements fo which occur to the west on plan SX 0979.
Fragmentary and isolated prehistoric banks are traceable in two small areas at SX 100792 and SX 100794.
Distinctive names 'Carwether'.
Condition is generally good though much concealed by turf. It is not being damaged and the owner (farmer) has no intention of undertaking any clearance.
Surveyed at 1:2500.
The current scale of survey does not assist in the comprehension of this DMV. (4)
A deserted Medieval settlement of some fourteen buildings with associated enclosure set within an extensive, multi-period field system. Settlement is centred at SX 10177967. Documentary information concerning Carwether is quite good considering its minor and isolated setting. The earliest reference is in 1317. In 1694 the extent of the tenement is shown in a detailed map form in the Lanhydrock Atlas, showing five large enclosed pasture fields depicted as a discrete unit around the area once occupied by the settlement, which had clearly long gone. All depicted field boundaries and the main trackway followed identical courses to features recorded during the present survey, indicating little change since the late 17th century.
The settlement is well-preserved, although there has been stone stripping in the past to varying degrees. Features in the NE corner are particularly low and devoid of stone though their general appearance suggests robbing in antiquity. Fourteen, possibly 15 buildings with associated small enclosures are spread in a broad band 40-80m wide, 160m long. They are enclosed by an irregular, eroded stone wall which survives as a stony bank 0.5m - 0.8m high or by a long scarp on the NE and SW up to 1.3m high. This gives the impression that the settlement was developed piecemeal. The buildings can be divided into three main groups, on the basis of size and shape only, with a number of exceptions. In a few cases function can be suggested.
Group 1; Possible longhouses
Group 2; Rectangular buildings function not certain but may including `small' long houses or barns and out houses.
Group 3: Small, squarish structures, possibly of an ancillary agricultural nature.
The field system around the settlement is very extensive, covering an area of several Km sq. The present survey recorded only a small proportion. Interpretation of the remains is hindered by the detemined programme of stone stripping which occured between 1925 and 1975. Traces of ridge and furrow can be seen over much of the area, with the best recorded examples present NW and SW of the settlement. Numerous clearnce mounds exist both in the fields and on their boundaries. Fuller details of the RCHME field survey and report can be found in the project archive. (5)
The survey and report can be found in the published report of the Bodmin Moor project. (6) |