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HER Number:	33245.20
Name:	BOSIGRAN - Post Medieval dressing floor

Summary

The dressing floors of the stamping mill at Bosigran are shown on the 1876 OS map

Grid Reference:	SW 4301 3686
Parish:	Zennor, Penwith, Cornwall
Map:	Show location on Streetmap

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

Cornwall SURVEY NAME (temporary): NT 94490, CCRA 124-8
Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 33245.20

Monument Type(s):

DRESSING FLOOR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

The dressing floors of the stamping mill at Bosigran are shown on the 1876 OS map. This shows seven circular buddles and eleven rectangular tanks arranged downhill and to the north east of the engine house. The site was planned at 1:200 by CCRA and the NT in 1982 (h1). Only one round buddle was located in the dense blackthorn and willow scrub; this was circa 3.0m in diameter and 0.6m deep with a stone lining and, apparently, no central cone. Six rectangular tanks were located, four of which were stone lined and up to 0.6m deep. The other two survived as earthworks (b6).

Clearance by volunteers of the Cornwall Heritage Trust has revealed the remains of three circular features, two buddles with central cones and one smaller circle without, and three rectangular tanks. There was no sign of any concrete anywhere on the site. In particular the central cones of the two buddles are stone, not concrete. This is unusual, but this one went out of use much earlier than the others that were cleared, all of which have concrete buddles (7). Re-clearance in November 2024 revealed a fourth rectangular tank (8).

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Site history:
1: 1982. THACKRAY, D / CCRA, NT
2: 1986. HERRING, PC / CAU
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<1> Barton, DB, 1965, The Cornish Beam Engine, 223-224 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2788.

<2> Noall, C, 1982, St Ives Mining District, 107 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3994.

<3> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Field Drawing (GRE), GRE 2129 (Cartographic materials). SCO5089.

<4> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 198-, Drawing Archive, Hanging (GRH), GRH 68245 (Cartographic materials). SCO5088.

<5> CAU, 1984, Field Survey Context Card, 120-128 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5175.

<6> Herring, PC, 1987, Bosigran, Zennor, 49-52, 133 -134 & FIGS 31 & 32 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3569.

<7> Private individual, 2024, Condition Monitoring Report, Submitted online 17/02/2024 (Survey). SCO31107.

<8> Pers. Comm., Email from Cornwall Heritage Trust volunteer dated 22/11/2024 (Personal communication). SCO25106.

Sources / Further Reading

[1]	SCO2788 - Bibliographic reference: Barton, DB. 1965. The Cornish Beam Engine. 223-224.
[2]	SCO3994 - Bibliographic reference: Noall, C. 1982. St Ives Mining District. 107.
[3]	SCO5089 - Cartographic materials: Cornwall Archaeological Unit. Field Drawing (GRE). GRE 2129.
[4]	SCO5088 - Cartographic materials: Cornwall Archaeological Unit. 198-. Drawing Archive, Hanging (GRH). GRH 68245.
[5]	SCO5175 - Bibliographic reference: CAU. 1984. Field Survey Context Card. At CAU. 120-128.
[6]	SCO3569 - Bibliographic reference: Herring, PC. 1987. Bosigran, Zennor. Copy At CAU. 49-52, 133 -134 & FIGS 31 & 32.
[7]	SCO31107 - Survey: Private individual. 2024. Condition Monitoring Report. Submitted online 17/02/2024.
[8]	SCO25106 - Personal communication: Pers. Comm.. Email from Cornwall Heritage Trust volunteer dated 22/11/2024.