What the old field names tell us

The 1840 survey recorded the name of each field. Many names preserve things that have since gone: a warren, a mine, a chapel, a gallows, a cross. Below are the names that contain a landscape or history word, grouped by theme. A name appearing once is often the more interesting. This is a keyword sort, so it will also catch some ordinary names.

Moor and mire

742 names, 1945 plots, 14,623 acres. Most in: Chagford (195), Moretonhampstead (163), North Bovey (147), Widecombe in the Moor (119), Sourton (110).

Lee Moor (Shaugh Prior, 3,402 ac); Dartmoor or Chagford Commons (Chagford, 1,271 ac); Buckfast Moor (Dean Prior, 1,225 ac); Moor (Chagford, 804 ac); Marsh (Peter Tavy, 447 ac); Lower Moor (Manaton, 405 ac); Great Moor (North Bovey, 313 ac); Higher Moor (North Bovey, 286 ac); Broad Moor (Ilsington, 272 ac); Moory Meadow (Sourton, 228 ac); Prewley Moor (Sourton, 206 ac); Great Marsh (Bridestowe, 198 ac); Elsworthy Moor (Bridestowe, 192 ac); Lower Marsh (Okehampton, 181 ac); Middle Moor (Chagford, 156 ac); Higher Marsh (South Brent, 149 ac); The Moor (Moretonhampstead, 122 ac); South Moor (Cornwood, 121 ac)

Tors, rocks and hills

1408 names, 3011 plots, 28,153 acres. Most in: Chagford (238), Moretonhampstead (234), Drewsteignton (218), South Brent (212), Bridford (187).

Black Down (Mary Tavy, 2,091 ac); Roborough Down (Buckland Monachorum, 1,877 ac); Haytor Down (Ilsington, 1,416 ac); Down (Bridford, 1,214 ac); Shaugh Common, also Shaugh Hill (Shaugh Prior, 754 ac); Ringmore down (Sheepstor, 744 ac); Hamilton Down (Manaton, 623 ac); Hanger Down Garden (Cornwood, 409 ac); West Down (South Brent, 392 ac); Great Down (Drewsteignton, 367 ac); Lustleigh Cleave (Lustleigh, 364 ac); Whitchurch Down (Whitchurch, 358 ac); Cator_Down (Widecombe in the Moor, 343 ac); Great Hill (Ugborough, 331 ac); Lake Down (Sourton, 315 ac); Middle Down (Drewsteignton, 312 ac); Higher Down (Drewsteignton, 305 ac); Blackdown Common (Widecombe in the Moor, 304 ac)

Warrens and rabbits

45 names, 80 plots, 2,765 acres. Most in: Cornwood (8), Bridford (7), South Brent (7), Chagford (7), Shaugh Prior (6).

Warren (Buckland Monachorum, 827 ac); Rabbit Warren (Moretonhampstead, 592 ac); The Warren (Meavy, 529 ac); Hentor Warren (Shaugh Prior, 200 ac); Legister warren (Sheepstor, 183 ac); Willings Walls Warren (Shaugh Prior, 120 ac); Wray Cleave Stone and Warren (Moretonhampstead, 57 ac); Coney Park (Chagford, 52 ac); Great Warren (Cornwood, 26 ac); New Warren (Dean Prior, 19 ac); South Coney (Bridford, 16 ac); Lower Coney Park (Drewsteignton, 15 ac); Stone Coney Park (Bridford, 11 ac); Warren Down (South Brent, 10 ac); Warren field (Cornwood, 9 ac); Great Coney Park (Chagford, 8 ac); Middle Coney (Bridford, 7 ac); Homeward Coney (Bridford, 7 ac)

Mines and tin

48 names, 75 plots, 242 acres. Most in: Whitchurch (13), Mary Tavy (11), Ilsington (9), Cornwood (6), Okehampton (6).

Mine Rubbish (Mary Tavy, 24 ac); Hunting Park Cleave (Moretonhampstead, 20 ac); Stinial Down (Chagford, 18 ac); Tin Park (Whitchurch, 18 ac); Mine piece (Lydford, 12 ac); Great Hunting Down (Cornwood, 12 ac); Tinaver (South Brent, 11 ac); Tinnaways (Sourton, 10 ac); Battins (Okehampton, 10 ac); Mines (Ilsington, 9 ac); Adit Meadow (Sourton, 8 ac); Mine Pits (Manaton, 7 ac); Blowing Moor (Ilsington, 7 ac); Hunting Gate Field (Ugborough, 6 ac); Higher Tin Park (Meavy, 6 ac); Iron Mine Field (Ilsington, 6 ac); Little Hunting Down (Cornwood, 6 ac); Mine Field (Whitchurch, 5 ac)

Crosses, chapels and churches

265 names, 578 plots, 2,445 acres. Most in: South Brent (52), Ugborough (45), Moretonhampstead (36), Buckland Monachorum (34), Chagford (32).

Whitchurch Down (Whitchurch, 358 ac); Cross Park (Ugborough, 355 ac); Church Park (Buckland Monachorum, 126 ac); Higher Cross Park (Chagford, 115 ac); Lower Cross Park (Chagford, 107 ac); Abbeyford Wood (Okehampton, 78 ac); Cross Common (Drewsteignton, 52 ac); Monkstone (Brentor, 46 ac); Part of St Thomas Cleave (Moretonhampstead, 45 ac); Higher Church Park (Whitchurch, 40 ac); Cross Breach (Okehampton, 33 ac); Lower Church Park (Whitchurch, 32 ac); Great Cross Park (Chagford, 32 ac); Great Church Park (Bridford, 29 ac); West Monkstone (Brentor, 29 ac); Glebe Lands (Holne, 26 ac); Cross Lane Field (Bridestowe, 25 ac); Parsonage Plantation (Drewsteignton, 24 ac)

Wells, leats and water

686 names, 1088 plots, 7,055 acres. Most in: South Brent (118), Widecombe in the Moor (93), Ilsington (71), Chagford (62), Cornwood (50).

Dartmoor or Chagford Commons (Chagford, 1,271 ac); Lake Down (Sourton, 315 ac); Well Park (Widecombe in the Moor, 234 ac); Part of Wigford Down (north side of red dotted line) (Meavy, 168 ac); Wigford Down (Meavy, 168 ac); Gaul Lake and Will Pitten (Holne, 150 ac); Vellake (Okehampton, 119 ac); Bridford Wood (Bridford, 116 ac); Burford Down (Harford, 95 ac); Part of Wigford Down belonging to the Manor of Shaugh Prior (Meavy, 91 ac); Rushford Wood (Chagford, 86 ac); Bridge Park (South Brent, 83 ac); Shuttaford and French Hill (Holne, 82 ac); Endlake Down (Cornwood, 82 ac); Abbeyford Wood (Okehampton, 78 ac); South Brook (Buckland in the Moor, 69 ac); Benjybridge (Brentor, 68 ac); Holwell Common (Manaton, 59 ac)

Barrows, camps and castles

263 names, 516 plots, 1,813 acres. Most in: Widecombe in the Moor (48), Walkhampton (46), Okehampton (28), Meavy (27), Sourton (27).

Burrow Park (Ugborough, 82 ac); Wicketts Ground (Lydford, 82 ac); Round Hill (Okehampton, 82 ac); Round Park (Manaton, 64 ac); Brisworthy Burrows (Meavy, 58 ac); Pound park (Cornwood, 39 ac); Lower Coarse Ground (Mary Tavy, 36 ac); Coarse Ground (Lydford, 34 ac); Pound Field (Sourton, 33 ac); Ground occupied by the Rivers Walkham and Mew (Walkhampton, 32 ac); Feeding Ground (Belstone, 30 ac); Higher Coarse Ground (Meavy, 29 ac); Roundabout (Bridestowe, 26 ac); Burrow Field (Buckland Monachorum, 26 ac); Furzeland plantation and Pleasure Ground (Cornwood, 25 ac); Round Wood (Whitchurch, 21 ac); Prince Hall Easter Ground (south of river) (Lydford, 21 ac); New Ground (Cornwood, 20 ac)

Gallows, hanging and the law

321 names, 743 plots, 538 acres. Most in: Walkhampton (66), Shaugh Prior (57), Peter Tavy (57), Lydford (53), Moretonhampstead (50).

Court part of (Buckland in the Moor, 65 ac); Court Farm (Holne, 43 ac); Court Park (Moretonhampstead, 29 ac); Court House etc (Widecombe in the Moor, 28 ac); Houses and Courtlage (Peter Tavy, 24 ac); Court Meadow (Moretonhampstead, 24 ac); House and Courtlage (Dean Prior, 22 ac); Court Close (South Brent, 16 ac); Court Field (Cornwood, 9 ac); Ox Court Field (Bridestowe, 9 ac); Buildings and court (Shaugh Prior, 8 ac); Hill Weir, Court and Linhay (Lydford, 8 ac); Courtlage (Peter Tavy, 7 ac); Kings Barn Park and Court (Harford, 6 ac); Courtlage Waste (Manaton, 6 ac); Court gate Wood (South Brent, 5 ac); Farm, House Courtlage etc. (Lustleigh, 5 ac); Houses and Court (Walkhampton, 5 ac)

Mills

175 names, 296 plots, 649 acres. Most in: Widecombe in the Moor (26), Cornwood (25), Okehampton (21), Chagford (20), Ugborough (18).

Mill Meadow (South Brent, 57 ac); Mill Park (North Bovey, 49 ac); Mill Leat (South Brent, 31 ac); Mill Hill (Chagford, 20 ac); Mill Ball (Cornwood, 18 ac); Lower Mill Hill (Chagford, 16 ac); Higher Mill Field (Bridestowe, 14 ac); Mill Marsh (Chagford, 14 ac); Mill Orchard (Buckland Monachorum, 13 ac); Mill Wood (Cornwood, 11 ac); Mill Field (Okehampton, 11 ac); Lower Mill Park (North Bovey, 10 ac); Mill Close (Drewsteignton, 10 ac); Higher Mill Hill (Chagford, 9 ac); Mill fields (Cornwood, 9 ac); Mill Moor (Okehampton, 9 ac); Great Mill park (Cornwood, 8 ac); Miller's Park (Bridestowe, 8 ac)

Furze, brake and heath

450 names, 1131 plots, 4,665 acres. Most in: Drewsteignton (96), Ilsington (82), South Brent (67), Chagford (59), Moretonhampstead (54).

Brake (Lydford, 667 ac); Great Brake (Ilsington, 279 ac); Furze Park (Widecombe in the Moor, 278 ac); Part of Fernworthy Down (Bridestowe, 161 ac); Higher Brake (Buckland Monachorum, 157 ac); Lower Brake (Shaugh Prior, 127 ac); Brake Field (Bridestowe, 124 ac); Furze Close (Bridford, 106 ac); Furze Brake (Lydford, 66 ac); Little Brake (Shaugh Prior, 61 ac); Furze (Bridford, 48 ac); The Furzes (Walkhampton, 47 ac); 2/3 of Furzey Meads (Lydford, 40 ac); Part of Fernhill wood (Shaugh Prior, 38 ac); Whitemeads Brake (Lydford, 35 ac); Furze Hill (Bridestowe, 34 ac); The Brake (Chagford, 32 ac); Long Brake (Cornwood, 32 ac)

Stones

211 names, 321 plots, 2,075 acres. Most in: South Brent (36), Cornwood (23), North Bovey (21), Widecombe in the Moor (21), Okehampton (19).

Dunstone Common (Widecombe in the Moor, 400 ac); Stone Park (Walkhampton, 160 ac); Combstone (Holne, 157 ac); Whitstone (Brentor, 98 ac); Stone (Buckland in the Moor, 79 ac); Wray Cleave Stone and Warren (Moretonhampstead, 57 ac); Dewerstone Wood (Meavy, 56 ac); Stoney Park (Chagford, 52 ac); Monkstone (Brentor, 46 ac); Shilstone Moor (Drewsteignton, 46 ac); Stoney Field (Bridestowe, 38 ac); West Monkstone (Brentor, 29 ac); Copplestone Moor (Bridford, 25 ac); Stoneland (Peter Tavy, 19 ac); Balstone Wood (Buckland Monachorum, 18 ac); Longstone park (Cornwood, 15 ac); Dunstone (South Brent, 12 ac); Free Stone park (Cornwood, 12 ac)

Credit: Tithe polygons: Devon Tithe Mapping Polygonisation Project (Adnams 2023), © Devon County Council and Devon Heritage Centre, CC BY 4.0. Transcriptions: Devon County Council. The records may contain errors and duplicate entries.