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Summary

Engine Wheel Pit 3 forming part of the 19th century Wheal Katherine Tin Mine

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021056: Wheal Katherine, 235m west of Plym Ford, forming an outlying part of Eylesbarrow Tin Mine
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of tin streaming and trial pits at Wheal Katherine Mine

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/95
• Old SAM Ref: 34468
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WHEEL PIT (XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD to 1899 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Small rectangular feature shown on 19th century map.

1983, Wheel Pit at Wheal Katherine (Worksheet). SDV255543.

Site visited on 23rd August 1983. A well-preserved wheelpit at 'Wheal Katherine tin mine' at the head of a gully due north of Plym Ford. Internal dimensions 7 metres by 1.1 metres. Stone-lined, with a good example of an 'exit lobby' to discharge water further down the gully. Wheel probably powered pumping rods for shafts north of the pit. Probably mid 19th century.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Interpretation). SDV319854.

Not visible on 1985 aerial photograph.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 157316 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 15th May 2002. The wheelpit is 1.1 metres wide by up to 2 metres deep and is composed of walls of large coursed slabs. Large granite blocks are lying in the base.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 23,32 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Newman, P., 1999, Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine, 105-148, Figure 4 (Article in Serial). SDV231130.

Engine Wheelpit 3 at Wheal Katherine and associated with Eylesbarrow Mine is shown on the 1999 English Heritage 1:2500 survey. The 6.4 metres by 1.7 metre wheelpit survives in good condition. It is partly sunk into an old openwork just below the track. No evidence of a bob pit or flatrod system survives but the wheel was intended to power pumping equipment in the shaft at Grid Reference SX61046852. A possible earthwork leat follows the contours to the head mire of the RiverPplym although the source of water remains uncertain.

Newman , P., 1999, Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine, 19, Figure 4 (Report - Survey). SDV352201.

Wheelpit 6.4 metres by 1.7.metres at Wheal Katherine at the far north-east of the sett.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Wheel pit visible on aerial photograph.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England, 1021056 (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

Wheelpit at Wheal Katherine tin mine.

National Monument Record, 2014, Pastscape, 1063881 (Website). SDV355682.

Remains of a tin processing works at Wheal Katherine which formed part of Eylesbarrow tin mine set and was operational until 1856. An archaeological field survey in 1994 located structures including a stamping mill, dressing floors and buddles.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6239 - Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.