Roger,
Before I answer your questions I have to assume we are both agreed that
the reaves, or trackways as you prefer to call them, are prehistoric, ie
they were constructed and in use in the mid to late 2^nd millennium BC,
approximately 1800BC to 1200BC. In your line of questioning we therefore
need to consider the chronological relationship between the reaves and
the other features which you consider relate to them.
While most of us would agree that tinworking is very likely to have
occurred on Dartmoor in the 2^nd millennium BC, as yet, alas, we have
no substantial evidence to prove it. There is however, overwhelming
evidence that streamworking occurred on a massive scale in the medieval
and post-medieval period. We know this not just from documents, but also
the fact that many early and later medieval features of the landscape,
such as field systems and settlements were disturbed or partly destroyed
by the work of these tinners. Look for example at the Birch Tor area
where a medieval settlement and many of its fields have been massively
disturbed by the tinners. Or Holne Moor where medieval fields boundaries
have been sliced through by tinworks. And at Challacombe where medieval
lynchets have been cut by wide tinworks.
What you have observed at Merrivale, I would suggest, is the prehistoric
Great Western Reave, which has been cut through by a medieval or
post-medieval tinwork which now occupies the valley of Longash Brook.
Yes there is a modern crossing point there but this must post-date the
abandonment of the streamwork because it traverses the bottom of it. The
Gt Western Reave terminates on the edge of the tinwork, but if you
assume its orientation to be straight, as it is up to that point, its
course would have taken it where the streamwork now lies and it has
clearly been effaced by the tinners. All examples of reaves terminating
at the edge of tinworks can be explained in this way. Look for example
at the Walkampton Common reave which has had a massive 200m-wide
swathe cut through it by a streamwork west of Meavy Head.
The Eylesbarrow Reave as it heads SW from the barrows, has been heavily
disturbed by tinworks and when it reaches the head of the streamworks
known as South Deepwork (which was documented in the 16^th and 17^th
centuries AD) it terminates at the edge of the working. The reave
continues on the SW edge of the streamwork but a short 40m section
survives on an island of unworked ground, in the centre of the
streamworked area.
On Shoveldown, three parallel reaves are cut through by the streamwork
that runs along Stonetor Brook. See also Beckamoor Combe where the
prehistoric reave and a medieval settlement have both had sections
destroyed by the progress of the large streamwork. Clearly this tinwork
post-dates the medieval settlement so must be several thousand years
later than the reave.
It is not a coincidence that reaves appear to merge into other features
of the landscape, such as trackways and later field systems as in your
examples at Drift Lane, Skerraton Gate, Plaster Down etc. In a
constantly developing landscape, earlier abandoned features were
frequently adopted in later times for new schemes such as field walls,
hollow ways and, yes, trackways too.
In summary, the reaves were much earlier, by at least 2-millenia, than
the other items you are associating them with. Incidentally, I think the
mine you refer to at Magpie Viaduct was part of Wheal Franco, a 19^th
century mine, though we may be referring to different sites.
I don’t agree that reaves are not present on hard ground. What about the
Yartor Corndon Tor system, Holne Moor, Throwleigh Common, Haytor Down,
Easdon Tor, Wind Tor etc?
From your response to Chris I was wondering how you know the reaves
were built by miners? How do you know they were perceived by their
builders as ‘useless and ineffectual’ and how do you know that tin
working was carried out by slaves in the Bronze Age? Why also are you
assuming the reaves need to be stock proof to serve as boundaries -
perhaps tenure and the division of land had other meanings and purposes
in prehistory, which we do not fully comprehend. I have found that it
is usually a mistake to assume that people in the past perceived their
world in the same way as we do in the 21^st century.
Hope this helps you develop your discussions further.
Regards
Phil Newman
Roger B. Hutchins wrote:
> Dear Phil,
> I apologise if you thought that my use of the phrase "Negative put
> down" was unfair, but that is how it came over.
> It is common practise for professionals in any field to assume that
> amateurs meddling in their domain are ill informed.
> In my original posting I was enquiring about the use of goats for
> carrying mining product. I dont remember mentioning the word Reave.
> Andrew Fleming's book "The Dartmoor Reaves" is very interesting and
> informative, but I have yet to see any irrefutable evidence that the reaves
> were designed to be territorial boundaries.
> I am interested to hear that you Phil have spent much time surveying
> and mapping the reaves. You may be able to answer some awkward questions,
> that only someone with your knowledge can answer.
> 1. Why does the reave coming down from Lower White Tor turn to
> merge with Drift lane?
> 2. Is it coincidence that the Merrivale reave Heads straight towards
> the natural fording place of of the Long Ash Brook and enters the the tinworks
> via two well defined hollow ways?
> 3. Why does the Southern end of the Great western Reave terminate
> short of an extensive tinworks after turning to find a hollow way down to a
> natural ford in the stream?
> 4. Why do the reaves commonly have spurs at right angles leading to
> Settlements and tinworks?
> 5. Is it Coincidence that the Pupers Reave merges with the track to
> Skereton Gate and the exit to the moor below Harbourn Head?
> 6. Is it coincidence that the Holne Moor Reave divides to leave the
> Moor on the Holne road near Fore Stoke and the other branch leave the moor
> near Michlecombe where the hard track begins?
> 7. Is it coincidence that the reave that terminates at Lower White
> Tor meets the natural ridgeway that heads towards Two Bridges, an important
> crossing place of the Dart and Cowsic rivers?
> 8. Is it coincidence that two reaves coming off Roborough Down
> towards Horrabridge merge with well defined hollow ways?
> 9. Why does the reave that begins near the pound at Crapstone
> terminate just above the entrance to the mine just above the Viaduct at
> Magpie Bridge?
> 10. Why does the short length of reave near the football pitch at
> Crapstone terminate at the hard path that leads to Buckland Monachorum?
> 11. Why does the short length of reave on Plaster Down fade out to
> become a hard track?
> 12. Is it coincidence that the reave that takes the short cut across
> Plaster Down merges with the lane leading to Walkhampton ?
> 13 Why is it that the reaves fade out where the ground is hard, and
> restart where the ground is soft.
> 14. What is the point of an open boundary with huge gaps that
> include rivers or streams that could never be hedged or made stockproof when
> it would be far more simple to use marker stones as was done in later times.
> These reaves do NOT make sense as boundaries.
>
> I apologise to members that do not have an intimate knowledge of
> Dartmoor, as this will be difficult to follow but I am sure that any one with
> Phil's 18 years of mapping and surveying experience will be able to follow it.
> Roger B. Hutchins.
>
>
>
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