| More information : SX 745791. Houndtor II comprises a small group of Medieval farm buildings situated in a prehistoric enclosure to the north of Houndtor village (SX 77 NW 30). Two rectangular buildings separated by an enclosed yard represent the final period of occupation, to which also belonged a small corn-drying barn and a hut-circle converted into a pen by the insertion of a partition wall. The remains of three more stone houses belonged to an earlier period. Excavation by Mrs E M Minter revealed that the stone structures had been preceded by turf-walled houses. These turf houses perhaps began in the early 11th century, and pottery associated with the stone house suggests that it belonged to the late 12th or 13th century (See also Houndtor I SX 77 NW 30). (1-4)
Houndtor farmstead, centred SX 745 791, is located 350m north of Houndtor settlement (SX 77 NW 30). The site lies on a level shelf midway down the eastern slope of the Hound Tor massif, 250m from the tor itself. The farmstead consists of three rectangular buildings, with associated enclosures. This overlies a small prehistoric settlement containing two hut circles and some vestigial enclosure walls. Two of the rectangular buildings were excavated by Minter in the 1960s and spoil dumps from this activity have obscured parts of the enclosure walls. Beresford (1979, figs 3 and 4) was able to assign elements of the site to the prehistoric or medieval period. However, the disturbances caused by the excavations has left the current remains difficult to interpret.
The prehistoric enclosure depicted on Beresford's plan (1979, fig 4) is incomplete over much of its circuit and is, in places, obscured beneath excavation spoil. The small ovoid northeastern section of the enclosure on Beresford's plan is now marked by a crescentic earth bank and a short, curved length of wall, forming a circular level platform. The remaining sections of outer enclosure and interconnecting internal walls are built on a similar alignment to the longhouse (house 1) and are likely to be of the same constuctional phase or later. A linear bank which runs towards the site from the north has been truncated by the curved enclosure and terminates just beyond it, though a vestige is visible within the enclosed area. This undoubtedly predates all elements of the farmstead and is likely to have a prehistoric origin (see SX 77 NW 86 and 95) (see archive report for further details) (5-6)
The mediveal farmstead is visible as earthworks and structures on 2015 Next Perspectives APGB vertical aerial photography and visualisations of Environment Agency 1m Lidar data flown in 2021. The site was mapped from aerial sources in 2023 during the Historic England Dartmoor-Plym project. The farmstead includes the enclosed building complex and a short, curved section of bank to the south measuring approximately 46.6m long. The site is part of scheduled monument NHLE 1016255. For the prehistoric enclosure and hut circles on which the farmstead was built, see NRHE 1044916. (7-8)
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