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Summary

Sawpit at New Quay built by 1858 with an adit from the George and Charlotte Mine to the north

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX46NE/538/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SAW PIT (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Gaskell-Brown, C., 1980, Untitled Source, 29-30 (Monograph). SDV242404.

Sawpit, Newquay. Built by 1858. A substantial rubble revetment wall 4 meters high remains, buttressed on the corner. Rectangular sawpit 10 meters long at upper track level which gives access to a track into the woodlands above. At quay level the wall is pierced by a pair of arched-brick-headed doorways. One has remains of flue. Another 1 meter high leads in to an adit from the George and Charlotte Mine. The structure is in sound condition. Other details: Plan & sketch.

NMR, 1982, SX46NE25 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV336512.

Gaskell Brown , C. + Coleman-Smith, R., 1982, The Archaeology of New Quay, Devon, 134-136 (Article in Serial). SDV336506.

Other details: Figs 1 & 7, Drawing A..

Mills, R. + Murrell, D. + Vandenbossche, P. + Watts, S., 1997, An Archaeological Assessment of the East Side of the River Tamar between Calstock and Gunnislake (Undergraduate Dissertation). SDV242446.

Buck, C., 2003, Morwellham & Newquay, Devon (Report - non-specific). SDV241179.

Buck, C., 2006, New Quay: Archaeological Assessment (Report - Assessment). SDV336511.

Timber was imported from the Baltic & Canada for the Devon Great Consols mines & cut at the sawmill (Site 1). Local timber from the Duke of Bedford's woods to the east was probably cut to size at the sawmill prior to export. The power source was probably water from a leat & wheelpit to the large circular saw. The survey in 2006 found the saw pit 10.7 meters long x 1 meter wide x 1.5 meters deep within a rubble retaining wall up to 4.7 meters high with granite coping stones. On the western side of the wall are a pair of shallow arched brick headed openings (Site 1.1) 2 meters high x 0.9 meters wide x 1.4 meters deep which may have housed a privy & a shelter. Both openings originally had timber doors. At the junction of the sawpit retaining wall & the north quay track retaining wall at NGR SX44530969729 is an adit portal (Site 2) for George & Charlotte Mine. The stone arched adit opening is 1.4 meters wide by 1.7 meters high with the adit inside 1.5 meters high by 0.8 meters wide. Other details: Fig 2, 7-8, 10.

Houghton, P., 2015, An Archaeological and Historical Report on New Quay Nr Tavistock Devon Volume One, 21-23, figs 9-12 (Report - Assessment). SDV363202.

The sawpit remains in a poor condition and recommendations in the 2005/6 survey for clearance appear not to have been carried out. A measured drawing of sawpit provided (fig 10) with approximate depth noted. Management recommendations include clearing the pit and area around site to assess damage to the structure.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV3950 - New Quay, Devon: Archaeological Assessment
• EDV3951 - Morwellham & Newquay, Devon
• EDV3952 - New Quay Devon. An Archaeological and Historical Survey

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