The ruins of Hundatorra, a medieval settlement in Dartmoor National Park, Devon, sit atop a hillside beneath Hound Tor. Once a thriving town named in the Domesday Book, it was abandoned by the 15th century.
Legend of the witch's curse
According to legend, the rock formations on the Tor are a hunter and his dogs turned to stone by a witch. The hunter and his pack ran foul of a coven and were drowned in a mire; as a final insult, the witch petrified them. They now loom over the settlement.
Famine and plague theories
Historians believe the land was farmed since the Neolithic Age, but the reason for the abandonment is uncertain. Historic UK offers theories: during the 14th century, colder weather across Britain and Europe made farming difficult, leading to the Great Famine of 1315-1317. Smaller famines continued, and average life expectancy fell to 29 years. Some scientists link this to a volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera in New Zealand around 1314, which sent aerosols into the stratosphere and disrupted global climate.
The second theory is the Black Death, which reached England in 1348 and wiped out a third of Devon. During the plague, average life expectancy was just 17.
Ruins remain as reminder
The ruins of four 13th-century longhouses, three barns, and three other unidentifiable buildings still stand. The barns were adapted to include corn dryers, a sign of desperate attempts to harvest despite worsening weather.
