Today was our last day on site at Vinnimore and what a week it’s been.  We had a steady trickle of visitors throughout the day who came to the open day – some were just passing through and others had made a special journey to see the excavation taking place.  Jane, Kate and Dave from the Woodland Trust, DNPA archaeologist Andy Crabb and myself and Andy from Moor than meets the eye were on hand to greet visitors, explain the project background and guide visitors safely around the site.  We saw lots of our volunteers from the week, who had returned with friends and family and who were excited to see the progress that had been made.

Johnnie and Marc completed the surveying and recording and were at the site early to take photographs in good light conditions.  The photos, drawing and plans will all contribute to the archaeological report that will be made available over the next few months.

Emma and Peter investigate the bread oven

Our favourite piece but what does it depict… a chicken, a fox or perhaps a dinasuar as one of our young visitors suggested. ?

In true Time-Team fashion, the bread oven was excavated in the final hour of the day but it appeared that even the floor of this feature, had been robbed out at some point in the building’s past.  We had archaeologist and metal-detectorist Andy Robinson on-site for some of the afternoon who used his skills to look for items in the spoil heap.  All our excavators clearly did a good job as he was unable to find anything that had been overlooked, aside from the top of what looked like a key – the front door key to the farmstead?!

After our final tea break and with the weather on the turn, the site was packed up.  Tools were ‘barrowed’ back to the Land Rovers and finds were safely stowed away.  The trenches will be back-filled by colleagues at Dartmoor National Park Authority over the next few days.

All hands to the trench! A final push in the last hour

It’s been an inspiring and hugely rewarding week working alongside colleagues from other organisations, volunteers from the local community and further afield.  We’ve learnt a lot about this hidden farmstead nestled in the Bovey Valley and have been able to shed more light on this part of the Dartmoor story.

by Emma Stockley, Moor than meets the eye – Community Heritage Officer

Do take a look at the Moor than meet the eye Facebook page, to see the short videos and all the photos that the team have been posting during the week’s dig.