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Summary

Medieval or later streamworks situated within the River Tavy and its tributaries within Dartmoor Forest. The earthworks cover an area of 17 hectares and an archaeological survey of 1995 recorded small, isolated bands of low spoil heaps on bends in the river and at some of the confluences The majority of the visible remains were identified adjacent to three of its tributaries, Western and Eastern Red Lake and Fur Tor Brook. These streams are flanked by well-defined, worked areas with regular parallel spoil heaps and water channels. Few achieved any great depth, the maximum being 3 metres on the right bank of the Western Red Lake.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking along Black Ridge Brook
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking along Cut Combe Water
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking and tinners' hut at Furtor Ford
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking along the Amicombe Brook
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking and remains of a tinners' hut by Amicombe Brook
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking and remains of tinners' huts at Sandy Ford and Eastern Red Lake
• SHINE: Structural remains of Bronze Age hut circles and earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking along Western Red Lake
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking and remains of tinners' huts along the River Tavy and Fur Tor Brook
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking and remains of tinners' huts at Tavy Hole
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking and remains of tinners' huts east of Walkham Head

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58SE37
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1063510
• Pastscape: 1063510

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• STREAMWORK (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 110, Map 33, Sites 2-8 (Monograph). SDV219155.

No very significant amounts of tin were obtained from the upper Tavy and what deposits there were occured in small pockets along the main river and its tributaries. Eight tinners huts are located near these streamworks.

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

(15/08/1995, 21/08/1998) Centred SX 572832. Approximately 17 hectares of tin streamworking remains on the upper reaches of the River Tavy from Tavy Head to Watern Oke - its confluence with the Rattle Brook (streamworks on the Rattle Brook recorded as NMR SX 58 NE 47). The former workings on the Tavy consist of small, isolated bands of low spoil heaps on bends in the river and at some of the confluences though much of the upper reaches of the Tavy and Amicombe Brook flow through broad marshes which may conceal further remains. The majority of the visible remains lie adjacent to three of its tributaries, Western and Eastern Red Lake and Fur Tor Brook. These streams are flanked by well-defined, worked areas with regular parallel spoil heaps and water channels. Few achieve any great depth, the maximum being 3m on the right bank of the Western Red Lake. Six tinners' huts and five other structures lie within or relatively near the former workings. (See related records for further details).

Probert, S., 2001, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon. Integrated Land Management Plan Implementation: Archaeological Condition Baseline Survey Appendices 2-5 (Report - Survey). SDV357727.

(15/02/2001) This streamwork on Western Red Lake remains as described.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(21/08/2003) The fragmentary and rather ephemeral streamworks on Cut Combe Water, Black Ridge Brook and Amicombe Brook as well as the larger workings on the Tavy and Red Lakes remain as described in 1995. There are no signs of recent disturbance to the monuments.
(10/08/2004) As described in 2003. Condition remains unchanged.

English Heritage, 2005, Industrial Survey Information (Report - Survey). SDV346396.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Merrivale Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361635.

Several discrete areas of tin streamworks along the riverside and small tributariesof the South River Tavy.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7441 - Condition survey of the archaeological sites of Merrivale Training Area
• EDV7570 - Condition survey of Merrivale Range training area
• EDV7620 - Okehampton Artillary Range
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8713 - Merrivale Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV7368 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy (1998)
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range
• EDV6663 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6664 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6665 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8141 - Condition survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8813 - Archaeological and historical investigation of Peat Cutting on North-Western Dartmoor

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