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Summary

A cluster of at least 30 tin prospecting pits were recorded on the moderate north-east slope of Cox Tor, and south-west of Wedlake scattered throughout the Prehistoric settlement.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Walling remains of a Bronze Age hut circle and length of boundary wall, part of a dispersed group of hut circles and settlements on Petertavy Great Common, to north-east of Cox Tor
• SHINE: Earthworks and surviving stone walling of Bronze Age hut circle settlements and medieval or later prospecting pits on Petertavy Great Common, to north-east of Cox Tor
• SHINE: Walling remains of a Bronze Age hut circle and length of boundary wall, part of a dispersed group of hut circles and settlements on Petertavy Great Common, to north-east of Cox Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1011432: Stone hut circle and a short length of boundary wall forming part of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement on the north-east slope of Cox Tor
• Scheduled Monument 1011389: Sixteen stone hut circles forming part of an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement on the north-east slope of Cox Tor

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/162
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/201
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/202
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/38/1
• Old SAM Ref: 20393(P)
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PROSPECTING PIT (Constructed, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

National Monument Record, 1977, SX5376, 5/261 (Aerial Photograph). SDV271138.

Photograph taken on 20th May 1977.

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

Dispersed group of trial pits in valley between Cox Tor and Roos Tor. Overlying open settlement. Concentrations of trial pits at SX53657643 and SX53557659.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, Settlement north-east of Cox Tor (Site Visit). SDV228342.

(24/08/1986) SX 53607650. A curious group of pits. Interpretation as trial pits may be correct - they have spoil crescentically on the downhill side, but their behaviour is not that of normal trial pits: they are set out in lines along the contours rather than at right angles. Size very regular - about 4 metres diameter, and depth fairly slight. One may note that the Scheduled document described these things as slit trenches: this could be the answer.

Gerrard, G. A. M., 1986, The Early Cornish Tin Industry: An Archaeological & Historical Survey, 254-5 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV156659.

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

(07/04/1992) SX 53567657. Group of prospecting pits lying within hut settlement. Each consists of sub-rectangular hollow, 4 metres by 3 metres by 0.8 metres deep with an associated crescent shaped bank up to 1 metre high immediately downslope. May be contemporary with nearby streamworks and tinworks.
SX 53497663 Prospecting pit at the south end of a Bronze Age field boundary. Sub-rectangular pit 4.4 metres by 3 metres by 0.6 metres deep with associated crescentic bank 0.9 metres high immediately downslope. May be contemporary with nearby streamworks and tinworks.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 84-85, Map 31, Figure 31.2 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Group of eight 'pits' shown to the south-east of the settlement to the north-east of Cox Tor.
Centred SX 5349 7643 and SX 5356 7646. 'Pits' shown to the south of the arc of 'Enclosure 'E' at 'Cox Tor North-east' settlement.
Large group of 'pits' shown running north-west to south-east through the settlement to the north-east of Cox Tor.
Two 'pits' shown to the east of the arc of 'Enclosure 'C' at 'Cox Tor North-east' settlement.

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

Pits centred SX 5354 7666. Visible on aerial photograph.

Newman, P., 2019, Prehistoric Settlements North and South of Wedlake (Supplementary survey report) (Report - Survey). SDV363726.

A cluster of at least 30 tin prospecting pits on the moderate NE slope of Cox Tor, and SW of Wedlake are marked on GIS survey layer.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, 1011432 and 1011389 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

[1011432] The tin prospecting pit lies at the south end of the boundary. The pit consists of a sub-rectangular hollow measuring 4.4 metres long by 3 metres wide and 0.6 metres deep with an associated crescent shaped bank standing up to 0.9 metres high lying immediately downslope.
[1011389] A large number of tin prospecting pits lie within the monument. These consist of rectangular pits measuring 4 metres long by 3 metres wide and 0.8 metres deep with an associated crescent-shaped bank on the downslope side standing up to 1 metre high. These pits were excavated by tinners searching for tin ore.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8292 - Survey of the prehistoric settlements north and south of Wedlake
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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