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Summary

Former school-cum-chapel constructed after 1844 by the owners of Powder Mills to serve the working community. It is thought to have been in the building west of Powder Mills Cottages, which has also served as a forge. After the school at Postbridge opened in 1869, the children may have attended there instead.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of streamworking, peat working and associated leats west of Powder Mills Cottages

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NW260
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1471161
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• NONCONFORMIST CHAPEL (Built, XIX - 1846 AD (Between) to 1897 AD (Between))
• SCHOOL (XIX - 1846 AD (Between) to 1897 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Building shown on 19th century map at the west end of 'Powdermill Cottages'.

Stanbrook, M., 1991, Old Dartmoor Schools Remembered, 76, photograph (Monograph). SDV359884.

Some time after the opening in 1844, the owners provided a chapel which doubled as a school for the community at Powder Mills. It is believed to have been the small building on the left (west) of the houses, and was recently a forge. It is known that 8 children were entered at Postbridge school in 1880, but the Mills school may have been closed earlier.

Dawson, T. + Hambley, J., 1995, A Survey of the Service and Accommodation Buildings belonging to the Powdermills Gunpowder Factory, Postbridge, 4, Figure 3, Plate 2 (Report - Survey). SDV351071.

The buildings at Powdermills Farm first appeared on maps in the mid 19th century.
Building 517: Rectangular detached single-celled one storey structure located at the west end of the row of cottages at Powdermills Farm. The construction is of roughly coursed granite with large granite block quoins and lintels. There are original windows in the north and south walls and a modern double doorway in the east wall. Neither the slate roof nor the chimney at the southern end are original. A small modern structure abuts the northern corner. Prior to the addition of this structure the building would have been completely detached enclosing a simple rectangular space. It appears to be contemporary with the domestic buildings to the east and probably represents the school recorded in the census of 1861, doubling as a chapel when the preacher visited. More recently it has been used as a forge and in 1995 was a potter's workshop.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Rectangular building shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6128 - Survey of the Service and Accommodation Buildings associated with Powdermills Gunpowder Factory (Ref: 95.63)
• EDV8644 - Cherrybrook and Longford Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8645 - Powder Mills and Gawler Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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