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Summary

Just below the Powder Mills leat on the west bank of the East Dart River are the ruins of a post medieval building, measuring 8 metres north-east by south-west by 3.8 metres inside a roughly coursed drystone wall 0.8 metres thick, still standing in six courses to a maximum height of 1.4 metres in the north-west.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of part of the 19th century leat supplying Powder Mills gunpowder factory, as well as a leat and reave on Chittaford Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SW60
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444009
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SW/90

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BUILDING (Built, Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Haynes, R. G., 1966-1969, Ruined Sites on Dartmoor, 8 (Un-published). SDV150434.

(18/03/1967) Small building 3.35m x 8.2m single doorway and no apparent room divisions. Probably a tinner's house.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX6381/2, 269-271 (Aerial Photograph). SDV254094.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1982, Field visit (Worksheet). SDV216525.

(10/12/1982) Rectangular building of post-medieval date, approx 9 by 3.5 paces internally. A fireplace is at its north end and a doorway in the centre of its east wall. Double wall on its west side. Of drystone granite construction. Marked on 1965 os 6" map. Oral information from mr. J. Hamlyn cited (worksheet).

Greeves, T. A. P., 1983, Middle Merripit Survey Drawing (Plan - measured). SDV321106.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Visible with double western wall visible on 1977 NMR aerial photograph.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, I. S. Sainsbury (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(19/07/1989) SX 63918103. Set into the base of steep bracken covered slopes just below the Powder Mills Leat at about 385m OD on the W bank of the East Dart River are the ruins of a post medieval building.
It measures 8m NE-SW by 3.8m inside a roughly coursed drystone wall 0.8m thick, still standing in six courses to a maximum height of 1.4m in the NW. There is an entrance 1m wide, central to the SE side, with a doorstep slab on the outside. Internally, set into the NE gable, are the remains of a fireplace with collapsed mantel. Some 1.1m parallel to the NW uphill side of the building is a partly collapsed outer wall of similar drystone construction 1.1m wide and of 0.7m maximum height. It is attached to the building by three shorter cross walls. No connecting doorways are evident.
Outside the S corner of the main building 12m of crudely constructed walling projects to the S.
Possibly also connected with the construction of the leat.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8648 - Middle Merripit Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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