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Summary

Peat works with two rectangular and two small squarish buildings on east side of the River Walkham to the south-west of Walkham Head

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440664

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PEAT EXTRACTION SITE (Built, XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 110, Map 33, Site 9 (Monograph). SDV219155.

'Peat Works' shown as four small buildings on the east side of the River Walkham to the south-west of Walkham Head. A vast amount of peat has been taken from around the head of the Walkham valley, most of it before the 1840s for use at the copper and lead mines near Mary Tavy. Boggy pools surround what little remains at the site on the east bank of the river including a few piles of stone and the foundation platforms of three of four buildings. A tall stone a short distance up the slope on the opposite bank is the last standing post that once supported the roof of the Turf House where slabs of peat were stored. Packhorses carried the peat to the mines along the deeply worn tracks encircling Lynch Tor, leaving the moor at Baggator gate.

English Heritage, 2005, Survey Information (miscellaneous date) (Report - Survey). SDV345855.

Four buildings shown on survey.

Cartographic Engineering, 2006, Dartmoor 2006 1:1250 Aerial Photography (digital) (Aerial Photograph). SDV345590.

One building visible on aerial photograph.

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.

Fragments of brickwork indicate the site of a disused and demolished 19th century peat works.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

'Works (disused)' shown on modern mapping.

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
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8713 - Merrivale Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8813 - Archaeological and historical investigation of Peat Cutting on North-Western Dartmoor

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