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Summary

Earthworks of Medieval or later tin pits and an opencast working situated to the northeast of Dry Lake Ford. An archaeological field survey in 1994 recordCd a line of pits with diameters ranging between 3 metres to 6 metres. The opencast survives as an irregular hollow measuring 38 metres by 12 metres and up to 2 metres deep.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Structural and earthwork remains of Medieval or later tin streamworks on the River Erme and its tributaries, Blacklane Brook, Dry Lake and Red Lake, as well as blowing houses and tinners buildings and possible prehistoric enclosures at Wollake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66NW119
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1063750
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/131/2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Constructed, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• PROSPECTING PIT (Constructed, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• TIN WORKS (Constructed, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 4278 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP, Depicted on the overlay (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Linear group of trial pits visible on the 1946 aerial photograph extending north-east from openwork MDV24808.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(09/12/1994) SX 63536668 to SX 63696682. A line of tin pits and a small opencast working ascend the southwest facing slope above the right bank of Dry Lake Ford. The pits are relatively small with diameters in the range of 3.0m to 6.0m. The irregular hollow marking the opencast working measures 38 m northeast to southwest, by a maximum of 12m and it remains 2.0m deep.

GetMapping, 1999 - 2000, Dartmoor 1999-2000 1:1250 Aerial Photography (digital) (Aerial Photograph). SDV345751.

Visible on the aerial photograph.

Newman, P., 2018, Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV361913.

Area of pits shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

A tin openwork and an alignment of prospecting pits running south-west to north-east on sloping ground to the east of Upper Dry Lake. The openwork is 31 metres long and comprises three conjoined backfilled shafts. They have collapsed, sloping sides and are 2 metres deep, surrounded by a 1.5 metres high spoil heap. The openwork is located within a line of smaller prospecting pits of up to 4.5 metres diameter and 2 metres deep, each with a collar or side heap of spoil on the rim of the pit. A drainage channel runs from below the south end of the openwork, which appears to pre-date the smaller pits, some of which have been sunk into it.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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