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Declaration Local and Regional Variation in Landscape Character: The Significance of the Tamar Valley to the Historic Landscape of East Cornwall and West Devon (Volume 1 of 2) Submitted by Philip William Treveil to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Archaeology in November 2019 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature…………………………………………………………… 1 Abstract Abstract The historic landscape of the South West Peninsula has traditionally been considered in terms of its relationship to more central areas of England, and in the medieval period this has tended to be with reference to the ‘Midland System’. Often regarded as being the most developed form of rural organisation in the Middle Ages, the model is of parishes dominated by single, nucleated villages, surrounded by two or three large open fields. In regions beyond this ‘Central Zone’ the perception is of more dispersed settlement patterns and an absence of extensive open field. More recently, however, there has been an acknowledgement that such a broad-brush approach masks greater variation in landscape character within regions themselves than was previously recognised. This thesis therefore sets out to examine local and regional variation in the historic landscape of the South West Peninsula, with a particular emphasis on a potential division between Cornwall and Devon. Although on traditional models seen as characterised by a uniformity of dispersed settlement and general absence of open field, it is contended here that there were indeed notable variations in the historic landscape within the region itself, with the Tamar Valley as the dividing line. Comparing the landscapes of Cornwall and Devon was also felt to have a direct bearing on another important debate, that of the so-called distinctiveness of ‘Celtic’ Cornwall from its ‘English’ neighbour, Devon. If real, could such supposed differences have had an effect on the form of the historic landscape? This is approached through two objectives, comprising an assessment of rural settlement nucleation/dispersal on the one hand and distribution of former open field on the other. Analysis is undertaken in GIS, using as its base cartographic sources from the late 19th century, to which additional layers of data are added to aid in interpretation, from archaeological and monument surveys, documentary sources to aerial photography. By assessing such settlement and field system patterns across Cornwall and Devon the aim is to identify variations in the historic landscape of the South West that may reflect different approaches to how the landscape was organised and managed in the past by the different communities. 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents Page Title and Declaration 1 Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 List of Figures 5 List of Tables 9 Acknowledgements 11 Chapter 1 Introduction 12 The Cornish-English Divide 12 Objectives 13 Study Area 14 Organisation of the Thesis 19 Chapter 2 Landscape, Settlement and Fields: Review of 23 The Evidence Introduction 23 Medieval Landscape Studies 24 South West Peninsula 43 Chapter 3 Physical and Cultural Aspects of Landscape: 65 Defining Pays Introduction 65 Physical Determinants of the Landscape 66 The Cultural Landscape 82 The Identification of Pays 92 Discussion 96 Chapter 4 Sources and Methodology 97 Introduction 97 Study Area 98 Sources 104 Methodology 114 Chapter 5 Rural Settlement Types and Patterns in the 119 19th Century Introduction 119 Comparative Studies and Rationale 120 Defining Settlement Types 122 Typology of Settlement 123 The Distribution of Settlement 145 Typology of Settlement Patterns 156 Discussion 165 3 Table of Contents Chapter 6 Reconstructing Medieval Settlement Patterns 167 and Morphology Introduction 167 Medieval Settlement in the South West 169 Settlement Contraction and Loss 175 Settlement Form and Size in the Late Middle 183 Ages Reconstructing Late Medieval Settlement Patterns 201 Settlement Patterns 207 Chapter 7 Field Systems 216 Introduction 216 Background 217 Procedure 224 Field Morphologies 229 Field System Categories 238 Distribution of Open Fields 246 Interpretation of Open Field Distribution Patterns 257 Discussion 261 Chapter 8 Settlement and Open Field 264 Integration of Settlement and Open Field 264 Evidence Historic Landscape Character Areas 283 Discussion 291 Chapter 9 Environment, Lordship and Culture 293 Introduction 293 Topography, Geology and Soils 295 Lordship and the Influence of Tavistock Abbey 305 The Earldom/Duchy of Cornwall, the Arundell 316 Estates and Conventionary Tenure Cultural Identity and Place-names 325 Discussion 331 Chapter 10 Enclosure and Diversification 333 Introduction 333 Settlement Loss and Contraction 335 Land Ownership and Occupancy 340 Processes of Enclosure 347 Population Changes 356 Diversification 360 Economic Change 362 Discussion 367 Chapter 11 Conclusion 369 Bibliography 383 4 List of Figures List of Figures 1.1 Topographical map of England and Wales 16 1.2 Map of South West England prior to Local Government 17 boundary changes of 1974 1.3 The South West Peninsula showing the counties of 18 Cornwall and Devon 1.4 The location of the local study area 19 2.1 Historic landscape character as mapped in four major 25 studies 2.2 The spread of villages and open fields across England 33 2.3 Tavistock parish 43 2.4 Medieval settlements in the parishes of St Merryn and 46 Padstow 2.5 The western fields of Brown Willy in the mid-13th century 49 2.6 Earthwork survey of the deserted settlement of Hound 51 Tor I 2.7 Transhumance place-names in Cornwall 55 2.8 Tenements and common land in Predannack Wortha, 58 Mullion, as represented in the Lanhydrock Atlas 1694 2.9 Strip cultivation and later enclosure at Challacombe 61 3.1 The Geology of South West England 67 3.2 The parish church of St Peter, Lewtrenchard, Devon 69 (photo) 3.3 Cullacott, Werrington, a late 19th-century passage 70 house (photo) 3.4 The topography and major geomorphological features of 74 South West England. 3.5 Drainage pattern in the South West Peninsula 76 3.6 Major soil types in South West England 78 3.7 Rainfall in South West England 77 3.8 Agricultural Land Classification 81 3.9 Vancouver’s eight ‘districts’ 91 3.10 Finn’s Devonshire Regions 93 3.11 The pays of the South West Peninsula 95 4.1 Plan of the local study area showing the seventy-one 103 ecclesiastical parishes 4.2 Map of Cornwall, Britannia, Speed 1610 106 4.3 Map showing the main rivers in the local study area 110 5.1 Menheniot (1:2500 OS map 1889) 125 5.2 Lezant (1:2500 OS map 1884) 126 5.3 Boyton churchtown (1:2500 OS map 1884) 127 5.4 Altarnun (1:2500 OS map 1883) 128 5.5 Rezare in the parish of Lezant (1:2500 OS map 1884) 130 5.6 Bohetherick in the parish of St Dominick (1:2500 OS 131 map 1883) 5.7 Trevivian in Davidstow parish (1:2500 OS map 1883) 132 5.8 East Kimber, Northlew (1:2500 OS map 1885) 133 5.9 Higher and Lower Eastcott (1:2500 OS map 1886) 134 5 List of Figures 5.10 The paired farms of Higher and Lower Trengale in St 135 Cleer (1:2500 OS map 1882) 5.11 Clubworthy, Higher Clubworthy and Little Clubworthy, in 136 North Petherwin (1:2500 OS map 1884) 5.12 Darite in St Cleer, (1:2500 OS map 1883) 138 5.13 The post-medieval mining settlement of Pensilva and 139 Middlehill, St Ive, (6 inch OS map 1888) 5.14 Fivelanes, Altarnun (1:2500 OS map 1883) 140 5.15 The large isolated farmstead of Bokenna, St Cleer, 141 (1:2500 OS map 1882) 5.16 The large isolated farmstead of Prewly, Sourton, 142 (1:2500 OS map 1885) 5.17 The small isolated farmstead of Westmoorgate, 143 Altarnun, (1:2500 OS map 1883) 5.18 Werrington House, north of Launceston, (1:2500 OS 144 map 1884) 5.19 Distribution of large-sized hamlets (ArcMap plot) 147 5.20 Distribution of medium-sized hamlets (ArcMap plot) 148 5.21 Large- and medium-sized hamlets plotted together 150 (ArcMap plot) 5.22 Distribution of small-sized hamlets (ArcMap plot) 152 5.23 Distribution of linked farmsteads (ArcMap plot) 153 5.24 Distribution of large isolated farmsteads (ArcMap plot) 154 5.25 Distribution of small isolated farmsteads (ArcMap plot) 156 5.26 Distribution of settlement types within the local study 165 area (ArcMap plot) 6.1 Selected archaeological remains and place-name 170 elements in East Cornwall 6.2 Plan of medieval longhouse hamlet of Brown Willy 172 6.3 The large isolated farmstead of North Thorne, 186 Broadwoodwidger, (1:2500 OS map 1884) 6.4 The small-sized hamlet of Trespearne, Laneast, (1:2500 187 OS map 1883) 6.5 The large isolated farmstead of Penwarden, St Ive, 188 (1:2500 OS map 1906) 6.6 Large isolated farmsteads of Swingdon, Heggardon and 189 Northend, Ashwater, (1:2500 OS map 1888) 6.7 Medium-sized hamlet of Mornick, South Hill, (1:2500 OS 190 map 1883) 6.8 Medium-sized hamlet of Maders, North Hill, (1:2500 OS 191 map 1883) 6.9 Medium-sized hamlet of Trebullett, Lezant, represented 192 on 1:2500, 1884 and on the Cornwall Interactive Viewer. 6.10 Large-sized hamlet of Illand, North Hill, (1:2500 OS map 194 1884) 6.11 All Saints Church, Dunterton (photo) 195 6.12 Geophysical survey data from around All Saints Church, 196 Dunterton 6.13 Lewannick churchtown (1:2500 OS map 1888) 197 6.14 Black Torrington (1:2500 OS map 1885) 198 6.15 Black Torrington, view north along Broad Street (photo) 199 6 List of Figures 6.16 Higher and Lower Penrose, North Petherwin, 1:2500 200 OS map 1884) and Cornwall Council Interactive map.

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