The highest point on the southern moor at 1,690 feet above sea level: crowned with a ruined cairn, two stones indicating parish boundary lines for Buckfastleigh and Holne, and an Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar. At various points in the past Ryders Hill has been known by alternative names, such as 'Cattyshill' in 1335 and 'Knattleborough' in 1609.  In more recent years the Buckfastleigh stone has always been known as Petre’s Bound stone, and the Holne one as Petre-on-the-Mount, but it seems that both names have been applied alternatively at various periods in their history.

It would seem that sometime in the past Holne’s original bound stone (Petre-on-the-Mount) became broken and the Buckfastleigh bound stone erected as a new marker - apparently taking its name - and for many years the Holne stone was not remarked upon at all in boundary reports. The ‘H’ stone then resurfaced and for some years lay loose beside Buckfastleigh’s tall ‘B’ pillar, the site then becoming referred to as either Petre-on-the-Mount or Petre’s Bound stone. Following the disappearance of the Holne stone again (sometime prior to 1986), a replacement was erected in 1991.

It was claimed that ordnance survey’s triangulation point had been erected over what was the original Holne boundary point. So, in order to try and resolve the matter Eric Hemery wrote to the Ordnance Survey (OS) and received a reply stating that the “triangulation-pillar on Ryder’s Hill Dartmoor was built in March 1937, exactly over the old, buried triangulation mark.” This lead Hemery to assume the OS mark was placed under what was then called Petre-on-the-Mount and the stone moved to make way for the offending triangulation point.

In his book High Dartmoor, Eric Hemery more or less accused Ordnance Survey of an act of vandalism (p. 303).

Dave Brewer was not convinced and several years later wrote to OS receiving a more informative reply. They stated the original observations were taken between the 26th July and the 22nd of August 1845. The actual spot or mark used for the sightings was 2 feet 6 inches below the ground. After completing the task a turf pile 12 feet in diameter and 13 feet high was placed over the mark station. The letter also went on to say that there was no way any Ordnance Surveyor would interfere with bound stones as it was not only improper but against their own interests. Brewer also managed to obtain copy of the original correspondence between Hemery and OS and discovered that some vital wording had been omitted when he was compiling High Dartmoor.

The letter clearly laid out the account of a 1858 survey in which it stated that; “About 12 feet south from the station stands a stone with the letter ‘H’ rudely cut upon it, to mark the limit of the parish of Holne in this direction.” This confirmed to Brewer that in 1858 the original bound stone was standing away from the OS station and that the later ‘B’ stone was erected on the exact same spot.  (Sources: Dave Brewer, Mike Brown, William Crossing, Roland Ebdon, Eric Hemery and Legendary Dartmoor).

Information about Siward's / Nun's Cross can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website.

2) Old Farm Hut - (SX6016/6991) 

Details of Old Farm Hut, tucked away under beech trees close to the Devonport Leat tunnel exit, was covered in the Research Notes for our walk in March 2015. 

All that can now be seen of Princep's Folly is an octagonal roofless tower, situated about 30 yards to the west of Gidleigh Tor.  It stands about six feet high, with a pointed arch doorway, a small window and a hole at ground level leading to the outside at the back of the folly.  A stone wall extends away from the back of the building, but the whole abandoned structure is now fast becoming obscured as nature is again taking over mastery of the site.  Although named 'Princep's Folly' it wasn't actually built as a folly, but was a look-out tower belonging to a substantial house that was built adjacent to the rocks of Gidleigh Tor.

The house and possibly two towers were built for Thomas Levett-Princep, back in 1848.  It would appear as though the Rev. A. Whipham, then Rector of Gidleigh Church, gave a 99 year lease of two acres of land at Gidleigh Tor to his friend, Mr Levett-Princep, in 1846 for the house to be built.  Although the house was completed and occupied at first by a caretaker, the Levett-Princep family never actually got to live in the house.  Unfortunately, Thomas Levett-Princep died suddenly in December 1849, whilst crossing Teignmouth Harbour on his boat, before he could move himself and his family from their current abode.  Following his death, his widow, Caroline, arranged for the house to be demolished and the fixtures and fittings, along with the balance of the lease, was sold at auction in 1851.

Thomas Levett-Princep was born in Staffordshire in 1811 and was a cattle breeder as well as being a local Justice of the Peace.  Following the death of his first wife, Margaret Monro, he moved to Devon and, in 1838, married Caroline Mary Templer, daughter of the Rev. J. J. Templer, a relation of the Templer family at Stover Park who built and owned the Haytor Quarries, the Haytor Tramway and the Stover Canal.  (Source:  various websites).  

2) Teigncombe Stone Circle - (SX6674/8652)  

About 350 yards to the north-east of Kestor Rocks a modern stone circle has been built on private land.  The stone circle is in a sloping field on a stretch of land that borders the moor at the back of Teigncombe Farm.  The stone circle is situated in a pasture field, about 50 yards from the moorland boundary wall, but can quite easily be viewed over this wall from the moor, below Kestor.  The circle consists of 13 large granite rocks, all stood on edge and giving the circle a diameter of around 75 feet.  Rumour has it that the circle was built at the instigation of television personalities Ade Edmondson and his wife, Jennifer Saunders, although no-one appears to have any proof of this being so.  Certainly, it is the sort of thing that would appeal to Ade's sense of humour and probably Jennifer's as well.  I have been able to confirm that the celebrity couple live at the nearby Teigncombe Manor, a Grade II Listed Building, which is on the site of Teigncombe Farm and which more than likely owns the field in which the circle has been built.  (Source:  various websites).

In addition to this modern circle, Teigncombe Farm does have a genuine antiquity on its land, in the form of a socket stone for an ancient stone cross.  When I first saw this stone it was being used as a roadside gatepost for access into one of the farm fields.  When I last visited it, in August 2021, it was no longer being used as a gatepost and had been abandoned in the field, against the roadside hedge and almost completely covered by the spreading vegetation.  More information on this socket stone can be found on the Dartmoor Crosses website.  (Source:  Maurice).

The GWR opened this secluded platform on the Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead branch line on 1st June 1931 naming it Hawkmoor Halt. It was situated at the northwest end of Yeo Cutting on a track alignment that had necessitated the loss of Yeo Farm and was comprised of a single 80 feet long platform with timber built waiting shelter and external wooden bench.  Access was either via a footpath and stile from Yeo Bridge or a foot crossing giving access to an iron gateway built into the side of the lane at Lower Knowle.

The halt had been established partially for the benefit of moorland walkers and visitors to patients at Hawkmoor Hospital (a sanatorium for tuberculosis sufferers) and partly to appease one of its directors who lived in the nearby settlement known as Lower Knowles.  On 13th June 1955 the halt was renamed to Pullabrook - derived from a farm and wood situated about a quarter mile away to the southwest. This had almost certainly occurred to avoid confusion amongst hospital visitors who assumed the halt was situated close to the establishment when it actually involved a trek of about two miles along winding country lanes. Its demise came when all passenger services along the route were officially withdrawn on 2nd March 1959.  (Source:  A R Kingdom & M Lang's 'The Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead Railway').

The farm site is classed as ancient having a documented history going back to about 1248. With the inclusion of the word ‘worthy’ it is considered to have Saxon origins.  The word 'Worth' or 'Worthy', in Saxon terms, means a homestead or an enclosed place, normally occupied by just one family.  It was quite probable that it started out as just a one family smallholding and grew bigger over the years as more land was acquired. 

Obviously passing through many hands it was owned by E Whiddon Esq in 1558 and at the time of the Spanish Armada, a farmer called Lightfoot occupied the farm followed by several of his generation.  Comprised of three tenements the farmhouse was demolished in 1690 and replaced by one with casement windows. John Clement possessed the tenements in 1702 and seventy-eight years later Sir John Davie is recorded as owner/occupier, having succeeded a William Rogers.

Ancestors of the Ferguson-Davie family of Crediton had purchased the hamlet and built Fernworthy Newtake (enclosing 278 acres) by 1802: the perimeter wall later adopted as the Forestry Commission’s plantation boundary.  In 1843 Richard Born was tenant to Sir Humphrey Davie. A branch of the local Endacott family, headed by George, became Born’s successor sometime between 1881 and 1891 and in September 1904 the Endacott’s moved to the border-country with a family called Mortimore succeeding them.  The Davie’s eventually sold their interest in Fernworthy Farm to the Duchy in 1917. A later Endacott (Ernest) also had connections with the farm.  The 10 yearly census records, during the period 1841 to 1911, for Fernworthy Farm have been summarised and are available to be viewed here.

Following a 1934 Act of Parliament, Torquay Corporation were empowered to construction a dam across the South Teign, thereby creating Fernworthy Reservoir. It was about this time that the farm buildings were abandoned and demolished, the dam being completed on 22nd June 1942. Sadly, there are scant records concerning the farm’s layout, although a few photos exist.  References: W Crossing (The Teign from Moor to Sea) and E Hemery (High Dartmoor).

The original pub was built at some point during the mid 18th century on the other, south east, side of the road from the current establishment and was known as the Newhouse.  The exact date it was built is not known but the building doesn't appear on Ogillby's Depicted map of 1720, but does make its first appearance on Donn's 1765 map as 'Newhouse', which implies it was built between those two dates.  It's original purpose was as a resting place for weary travellers after the long pull up onto the moor from Moretonhampstead on their journey to Tavistock.  It was also built at a time when the current B3212, which now runs past the pub, was just a well-used dirt track.  The road was adopted by the turnpike trust in 1792, from whence gradual improvements were made to its surface.  The current building has the distinction of being the second highest pub in England but, at 1420 feet above sea level, it is still some 200 feet lower than its rival - the Cat and Fiddle, located in the Peak District.  The pub was rebuilt in 1845 on the opposite, north west, side of the road and renamed The Moreton Inn.  The pub was well known for its fine ales, scrumpy and rabbit pie.  The rabbits were always supplied by the nearby Headland Warren Farm.

It would appear as though John Wills owned the pub in the mid 19th century and there is a plaque in his name built into the north east gable end of the pub, which reads: 'I Wills / Septr 18 / 1845.  It could well have been him that had the pub rebuilt as the plaque is actually built into the wall, rather than being attached to it.  John Wills was a big overpowering man, being 6 feet tall and having a beard reaching down to below 6 inches below his collar, who never allowed his customers to get out of hand.  Shortly afterwards, Jonas Coaker became the landlord and it is thought that he is the person who gave the pub its current name of the Warren House Inn, at some point during the second half of the 19th century.  Jonas was often referred to as the Dartmoor Poet on account of his short and poignant poems.  As I understand it, Jonas is an ancestor of Anton Coaker, who currently farms at Hexworthy Farm and who  regularly airs his personal views in the various Dartmoor publications.

The Warren House Inn is also quite famous for keeping a continuous fire going in the hearth all the year around, although I'm unable to discover when the fire was originally lit and how long this legend has been going.  In the old days, the beer was drawn from the barrel into a large enamel jug, from where it would be poured into a quart mug.  The mug would be shared between four men, each taking their turn to take a drink and each would take their turn in buying the next round.  During really cold weather, the men would use a 'Witches Hat' with a long iron handle to warm the beer in the peat fire.  The pub must, at one time, have had quite a reputation.  Once, when Jonas Coaker was the landlord, the pub was invaded by a group of miners who took over the pub and helped themselves to his beer.  Poor Jonas fled the pub in fear of his life and hid out on the moor until he felt it was safe to return.  On another occasion two customers got into a heated argument at the pub, which ended in a fight between them and one poor soul died as a result.  The survivor was sentenced to three weeks in prison after Jonas Coaker gave evidence on his behalf quoting that he was subjected to 'Gross Provocation'.  In another episode Mrs Bray, wife of the Reverend Bray, reported that a person had died at the pub whilst it was cut off during a period of severe snowfall.  The body had to be salted down in a trunk in order to preserve it until the snow had cleared and the body could be retrieved for burial. 

It is quoted, by the Reverend Bray, that there was once one of Jonas Coaker's poems written out on a sign at the pub.  This poem read:

However another author, by the name of Page, insists this is incorrect and should read:

You can take your pick as to which you want to believe.  (Sources: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', pages 507-510 & William Crossing's 'Guide to Dartmoor', page 475)