Heritage Open Days: a chance to step inside a medieval Dartmoor longhouse
Discover 14th Century life on Dartmoor by taking a look inside an extremely rare and intact example of a Dartmoor longhouse.
Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture. It runs from 8 - 17 September and offers free access to heritage events and activities across England including Dartmoor National Park.
There's usually a small charge to visit Higher Uppacott but special tours are being put on for free in celebration of the festival.
People can take a tour of the Grade One listed building which, once upon a time, accommodated humans and cattle under one roof or get involved in family-friendly activities at a special 'medieval marvels' event.
Longhouses are a typical feature of Devon with some of the finest examples found on Dartmoor, including the iconic Higher Uppacott near Poundsgate.
Livestock would have been kept in the 'shippon' - the lower end of the building. The sloping floor provided a simple yet practical drainage system and hay was stored on branches laid across loft floor beams.
The longhouse hall at the upper end of the building was the domestic quarters. Here, a nationally rare example of smoke-blackened thatch vividly illustrates how an open fire in a hearthstone set on the floor once heated the building.
Over time, High Uppacott has been developed without obscuring its past and today it offers a direct connection between us and our medieval forebears. That is, in part, what makes Dartmoor so distinctive and worthy of its National Park status.
Higher Uppacott's Heritage Open Day tour dates:
Saturday 9 September: 10.30am and 1.30pm
Saturday 16 September 10.30am and 1.30pm
Sunday 17 September 10.30am and 1.30pm.
A special 'medieval marvels' event on Sunday 10 September will help to introduce children to Dartmoor life throughout the middle ages.
Families can join the master and mistress of Higher Uppacott to discover more through a mixture of activities, stories and artefacts. As well as exploring the house, children can have a go at writing with quill pens, try medieval games, make medieval toothpaste or listen to a legend or two. The tour will run from 10.30am until 12.30pm and is suitable for children aged five and above.
Limited places are available so booking is essential for all tours.
Book a place by contacting the National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown, on 01822 890414 or email with your preferred date.
Return of our History Hunters Day!
The National Park is has a new date for its History Hunters Family fun day, postponed from August.
The free festival will be on Saturday 16 September from 10.30am until 4pm with all the action taking place in and around the National Park Visitor Centre at Postbridge.
The National Park hopes to encourage people to take part in this special day designed to celebrate Dartmoor's awesome cultural heritage with a huge range of family activities. Children can have a go at making a hunter-gatherer spear, building a miniature Bronze Age round house, being an archaeologist or learning to spin wool - all of which aim to uncover Dartmoor's rich heritage and the lives of people who lived and worked here.
No booking needed - just turn up and get stuck in!
