Archaeologists visit lost Dartmoor Manor

From Monday 13 July until Saturday 18 July 2015 archaeologists and volunteers will be returning to the site of North Hall Manor in Widecombe-in-the-Moor to continue investigations into this intriguing location.

This will be the second season of excavation. The first phase in 2012 targeted the medieval manor site and revealed wall footings, boundary works and pottery that strongly suggest a high status medieval building once stood in the area.

Andy Crabb, Archaeologist, Dartmoor National Park, said: "This year we will continue to investigate some of the features unearthed in 2012 with the hope of finding out more about their age and use. We will also be turning our attention to a field just north of the main site to investigate a “crop mark” feature revealed in an aerial photograph from 1947 .The trench that will be located here will hopefully reveal features and finds that will shed light on the original purpose and age of this fascinating site."

The excavation is very much a community project and local volunteers will be undertaking the majority of the excavation works closely supervised by professional archaeologists. There are still some volunteer spaces available if people are interested in helping out and learning some archaeological skills. Please contact Andy Crabb (acrabb@dartmoor.gov.uk or 01626 831077) for more details.  Local school groups will also be visiting the site and lending a hand.

The public are invited to come along and discover what has been found at the site open day on Saturday 18 July from 10.30am-4.30pm There will be site tours, displays and a chance to have your own archaeological finds identified by an expert.

This series of excavations is the culmination of many years of research undertaken by local historian Peter Rennells into the location of the Medieval Manor of North Hall and would not have been possible without his dedication and determination.

The excavation is organised by Dartmoor National Park and funded by the Heritage Lottery Funded scheme, Moor than meets the eye which is helping people to discover the Dartmoor Story.