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Summary

Wheal Sidney mine produced black tin, mispickel and arsenic between 1854-64. No activity is recorded after 1896. The remains of workings, tunnels and pits are depicted on 19th and early 20th century maps and two chimney stacks remain standing. Earthworks relating to this activity and probably earlier, possibly medieval to post-medieval open cut mining are visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards and digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438402
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX55NE/13
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX55NE10

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• OPEN CUT (XV to Post Medieval - 1401 AD to 1750 AD)
• TIN MINE (XV to Late 20th Century - 1401 AD to 1986 AD)
• CHIMNEY (XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD? to 1896 AD)

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV149284.

Des=dcra hemerdon survey/(1979)21-3.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV149285.

Aph=raf/106g/uk/1190 3252-3253(24/2/1946).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV149286.

Des=timms, s. /as above. Forestry commission report partial collapse of top of stack in late 1984/ early 1985 (timms).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV149287.

Turton, s. D. + weddell, p. J. /an archaeological assessment of the south devon spine main (roborough to littlehempston)/(1989)9/(emafu report 89.15)/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV149288.

Nance, r. W. M. + nance, r. D. /a survey of engine houses on the mines of south devon, in p. Newman (ed) the archaeology of mining and metallurgy in south-west britain/(1996)109-122/copy in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV149289.

Des=greeves, t. /an assessment of dartmoor tin working/(1990)26/in smr. Openworks. Ancient workings documented in 16-17c (greeves).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV149291.

Richardson, p. H. G. /british mining/44(1992)139/mines of dartmoor and the tamar valley after 1913.

RCHM APP 1985, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV26818.

A chimney is visible at sx55245946 on 1946 raf ap. Two shafts sx55ne/158 are possibly related to this mine (rchm app 1985).

Untitled Source, 21-23 (Migrated Record). SDV149290.

Edwards, c. /dcra/(aug 1979)21-3. Vis=est -/-/1979 (edwards) the remains of workings, tunnels and pits can be seen in the area. Two stacks are still standing, also flues. Nothing is known of any activity after 1896.

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

'Wheal Sidney (tin disused)' shown on OS 25" (1880s) map with 'Shafts' to the west, a 'Chimney' and a rectangular pit at SX 5527 5950.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RP 3252-3253 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

A rectangular pit, irregularly shaped pits and open cut quarries, and the surviving chimney stack are visible as earthworks and structures.

Ramsden, J. V., 1952, Notes on the Mines of Devonshire, 94 fig.1 (Article in Serial). SDV60737.

F3 Fernhill Wood, Wheal Sidney, Plympton.

Royal Air Force, 1962, RAF/58/5095, RAF/58/5095 F21 004-005, 0046-0047 01-MAY-1962 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351597.

A rectangular pit, irregularly shaped pits and open cut quarries, and the surviving chimney stack are visible as earthworks and structures.

Harris, H., 1968, Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor, 55 (Monograph). SDV149229.

Wheal Sidney Mine had considerable underground as well as surface workings, and produced 412 tones of black tin in the years 1854-64, in addition to mispickel and arsenic. The remains of workings, tunnels and pits can still be seen in the area. Two stacks are standing, one in the field, the other in the wood, as well as flues. Nothing is known of any activity after 1896.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX55NE10 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV149282.

Wheal Sidney (disused). (OS 6" 1968).

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5559 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A rectangular pit, irregularly shaped pits and open cut quarries, prospecting pits, building platforms and an eroded wheel pit are visible as earthworks.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 05-APR-2007 ACCESSED 18-JUN-2019 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

Trees are cleared around the surviving chimney stack.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Earthworks and structural remains associated with Wheal Sidney mine are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards and digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 on the south-east to south-west facing spur slopes under Fernhill Wood, Shaugh Prior and Sparkwell.
The visible earthworks include broad areas of disturbed ground and irregularly shaped pits indicative of quarrying and prospecting on the west-facing slopes. Two bands of curvilinear and steep sided gulleys interpreted as opencut or openwork surface mining extend across the brow of the spur from circa SX54925925 to circa SX55355947. Further prospecting pits are concentrated on the east-facing slopes, recorded separately as MDV125977.
The earthwork remains of 19th century shafts and associated chimneys are clearly visible at SX55035940 and SX55135941 (MDV25243 and MDV25258). A chimney stack remains visible as an upstanding structure at circa SX55235945.
The visible earthworks extend down the steep east-facing combe slopes to the banks of the Tony Brook to include the earthwork terraces and pits that housed a wheel pit and site of a calciner (MDV61756 and MDV61757).
The visible earthworks correspond in part with features depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s First Edition 25inch map and the current MasterMap base mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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