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Summary

One of two mortar stones recorded in the River Erme, between Piles Copse and the confluence of the Left Lake stream with the river. Hankin (1977) records 'the mortar on the right, upstream surface, has only partly survived (diameter c.203mm)'. See also MDV4364.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66SW95
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442446
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/126

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FINDSPOT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1892, The Erme Yealm and Tory, 183 (Article in Serial). SDV261487.

Worth, R. H., 1940, Notes on some Dartmoor Blowing Houses, 205, 207 (Article in Serial). SDV218987.

Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Blowing House, 218 (Article in Serial). SDV154693.

A two-hole mortar stone for tin ore, broken across both holes, lies close under the left bank of the river Erme below Lower Drylake. The holes are 9 1/2 inches in diameter and 7 inches deep. No evidence can be seen for a knocking mill in the vicinity, but the mortar may have come from the building at Upper Drylake (Monument HOB UID 442378).

Worth, R. H., 1967, Worth's Dartmoor, 298 (Monograph). SDV337618.

Mortarstone in the bed of the Erme, below Dry Lake. A mortar stone lies in the river close to the left bank. There are two mortars. No building identifiable as a blowing-house is near. Both mortars, diameter 9.5 inches, depth 7 inches.

Hankin, C. F., 1977, Mortarstone in the River Erme (Worksheet). SDV150520.

(31/01/1977) SX 6409 6276 Two mortar stones recorded by Hankin in 1977. Erme Valley, near Dry Lake. Altitude c.274m.
In the River Erme, close to the left bank, between Piles Copse and the confluence of the Left Lake stream with the river.
Some of the stone has broken away; the mortar on the upper surface can be measured (mortar I: diameter 242mm, depth 178mm); the mortar on the right, upstream surface, has only partly survived (mortar II: diameter c.203mm).
R. Handsford Worth (Worth, 1940, pg 205, 218) found the mortar stone "below Dry Lake, on the Erme, a mortar stone lies in the river close to the left bank. There are two mortars. No building identifiable as a blowing house is near." Worth records the same measurements for both mortars, dimeter 9.5 inches, depth 7 inches.
The mortar stone was discovered by R. H. Worth a fortnight before he read his paper, "The Erme, Yealm and Torry" to the Plymouth Institute on 31/03/1892 (Worth, 1892, pg 183).

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, No. 47 (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

SX 6405 6283? Stamping mill (undocumented). Field evidence includes mortarstone in bed of the Erme. No sign of a mill site in the immediate vicinity.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV3449 - MORTAR STONE (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley

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