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Summary

Medieval or later streamworks located on the tributary streams of the Nun's Cross Brook. An archaeological field survey in 1995 recorded the earthworks as well preserved, covering an area of 4.2 hectares. The earthworks are up to 2 metres deep and 60 metres wide, comprising many dry water channels and linear spoil heaps from extraction and initial processing of the alluvial tin. They appear to pre-date a line of tin pits, which cut the east tributary of the stream. A line of small tin pits and a small openwork, 100 metres long, up to 1.5 metres deep and 3 metres wide mark the beginning of the west tributary, before the streamworks proper develop.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66NW137
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1063978
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/159

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• STREAMWORK (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• TIN WORK (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2363 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

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

SX 6090 6942 Large streamwork (without visible spoilheaps) which joins another streamwork at SX 6080 6967.

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

(23/01/1995) Streamworks on the tributary streams of the Nun's Cross Brook, centred at SX 60806925, occupy an area of some 4.2 hectares. The workings are well preserved and are up to 2 metres deep and 60 metres wide, with many dry water channels and linear spoil heaps from extraction and initial processing of the alluvial tin.
They appear to pre-date a line of tin pits (NMR SX 66 NW 112), which cut the eastern tributary of the stream. A line of small tin pits and a small openwork, 100 metres long, up to 1.5 metres deep and 3 metre wide mark the beginning of the western tributary, before the streamworks proper develop.
These streamworks form the tributaries of a large complex to the south, on the headwaters of the Swincombe River, recorded as NMR SX 67 SW 106.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8630 - Fox Tor Newtake Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8629 - Peat Cot Farm Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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