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Summary

An area of approximately 17 hectares of Medieval or later streamworks flanking the Sheepstor Brook. Archaeological field surveys in 1999 and 2005 recorded that the streamworks were linked to similar remains on the River Plym by a deep openwork. The streamworks are enclosed by a steep-sided cliff up to 6 metres high, pierced by a number of gullies and dry leat channels. The interior of the workings are largely obscured by marsh but some linear spoil heaps and former leat channels are visible on the peripheries. The adjoining openwork is around 10 metres deep with a number of pits and shafts near its southern end.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE272
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1313022

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD to 1901 AD (Between))
• LEAT (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD to 1901 AD (Between))
• STREAMWORKS (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

(02/08/1999) Centred SX 58146683. Some 17 hectares of tinworking remains flank Sheepstor Brook between Meavy Pool on the River Plym and Burcombe Gate. Streamworks form the majority of the remains centred on Gutter Mire with a large openwork joining these remains to the Plym at Meavy Pool. A smaller east to west oriented openwork latterly used as a land boundary lies 240m north of the Scout Hut.
The streamworks are enclosed by a steep-sided cliff up to 6m high pierced by a number of gullies and dry leat channels. The interior of the workings are largely marsh bound but the margins display signs of the characteristic linear spoilheaps and leat channels associated with streamworking. The head of Sheepstor Brook is marked by a modern embankment carrying the access route to Ditsworthy Farm which marks the commencement of a deep openwork which eventually joins these workings to similar remains on the right bank of the Plym. The openwork measures up to 10m deep and contains later shafts and spoilheaps at its southern end. The openwork north of the Scout Hut is shallower at 2.0m and possesses a solitary tin pit in its base.
Several tin pits and shafts are visible on the east-facing slope of Gutter Tor immediately opposite the Scout Hut. There is no identifiable pattern to these features within the survey area and they do not appear to be following lodes. The general dearth of tin pits on the slopes around these workings suggests that only alluvial deposits are present in this area; the openwork being, in effect, an eluvial working and the shafts, like those at Whiteworks Mine, dug to exploit deep non-lode sources of tin.
The water of the Sheepstor Brook used in the ore separation process was supplemented by several other sources, one from Drizzlecombe Brook, as evidenced by the leats feeding the workings. All are now dry and silted and some have been truncated by late medieval field banks one of which, marking the northern edge of the Ditsworthy holding, cuts across the streamworked area.
There is neither evidence of ore processing nor other tinners buildings in the investigated area.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

Newman, P. + Probert, S., 2005, Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV363484.

(11/03/2005) This extensive tinworking remains as described in 1999. The tin pits and shafts on the east and northern flanks of Gutter Tor now form part of a separate record (Monument HOB UID 1408401).

Probert, S. A. J., 2010, A Condition Survey of the Archaeological Sites of Ringmoor, Dartmoor Training Area (Report - Survey). SDV360517.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Ringmoor Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361636.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape
• EDV7443 - Condition survey of archaeological sites in Ringmoor Training Area
• EDV7551 - Ditsworthy Warren: An archaeological investigation
• EDV7569 - Condition survey of Ringmoor Down training area
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey

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