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Summary

Remains of mid-19th century tinworks, comprising a stamping and or dressing plant, situated on the valley floor on the west bank of the West Webburn River, north of Challacombe. The plant was in use in about 1852 and was operated as part of East Birch Tor Mine. A contemporary plan of the site shows the water wheel at the north end with at least two buildings and other walls to the south. An archaeological field survey in 1990 found the site to be in a fragmentary state, probably extensively robbed. There was a great deal of ground disturbance with irregular pits and waste heaps. The wheelpit was aligned east-west, measuring 7.5 metres long and about 1.9 metres wide, and up to 0.6 metre deep. The wheel was served by a leat (Monument HOB UID 917765) which ends on the brink of the slope 4 metres above on the west. Other features included three rectangular pits, one measured 5.4 metres by 5.5 metres, with vertical sides 0.6m deep. The two other rectangular pits were set at right angles to each other, they measured 6.8 metres by 1.5 metres (north to south) and 4.7 metres by 1.4 metres (east to west). They had vertical sides and were 0.4 metres deep. An associated building was situated on the slope above the works. It survives as a rectangular building platform and measured 5.6 metres by 3.7 metres internally. It is defined by in-falling slopes 0.5 metres high on the north and south, and a low bank 0.3 metres high on the downslope.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021393: Medieval strip field system, tinworks, part of a prehistoric settlement, a cairn and reave on Challacombe Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE151
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 917796
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/182

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DRESSING FLOOR (Constructed, XIX - 1852 AD (Between) to 1852 AD (Between))
• DRESSING WASTE (Constructed, XIX - 1852 AD (Between) to 1852 AD (Between))
• LEAT (Constructed, XIX - 1852 AD (Between) to 1852 AD (Between))
• MINE BUILDING (Constructed, XIX - 1852 AD (Between) to 1852 AD (Between))
• STAMPING MILL (Constructed, XIX - 1852 AD (Between) to 1852 AD (Between))
• TIN WORKS (Constructed, XIX - 1852 AD (Between) to 1852 AD (Between))
• WHEEL PIT (Constructed, XIX - 1852 AD (Between) to 1852 AD (Between))

Full description

Broughton, D. G., 1968-1969, The Birch Tor & Vitifer tin mining complex, 24, fig 4 (Article in Serial). SDV291528.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX6980, 1/33-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV245035.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Doubtful Devon Tin Mills c1450-c1750, No. 21 (Un-published). SDV336693.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, The Devon Tin Industry 1450-1750: An archaeological and historical survey, 368 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV351371.

Site of tin mill. Headland Warren. Broughton (1968/9 fig 4) shows a mill here, apparently working in the mid-19th century. Location suggests possible pre-19th century origin. Field evidence.

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

Not visible on RAF / NMR photos.

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

(01/08/1990) SX 6940 8022: Remains of a tinworks known to be operating in the mid 19th, situated on the valley floor on the west bank of the West Webburn River, north of Challacombe.
The works are sited in the lea of the steep tinners' slope separating the foot of Challacombe Down from the valley floor.
They are in fragmentary state and appear to be extensively robbed. There is a great deal of ground disturbance with irregular pits and waste heaps. Immediately south at the foot of Scudley Beam (Monument HOB UID 917666) a large area of tin-bearing ground is excavated away. This may be later than the work as it seems to have affected the south end of building A.
A - SX 6940 8021: a revetment to the steep slope is probably the west wall of a building range. Rough-coursed walling, surviving no higher than 0.4m, runs north-south for about 15m, with the stub of at least one cross wall coming off from it to the east.
B - SX 6940 8025: an infilled, east-west aligned wheelpit possibly 7.5m long and about 1.9m wide, now a shallow, ragged hollow 0.6m deep with a few displaced stone blocks to the south. At the northwest corner stands an upright post 1m high, 0.5m wide and 0.3m thick, part of a small section of masonry in situ. The wheel was served by leat (Monument HOB UID 917765) which ends on the brink of the slope 4m above on the west.
C - SX 6942 8024: a rectangular pit 5.4m by 5.5m, with vertical sides 0.6m deep.
D - SX 6942 8023: two rectangular pits set at right angles to each other, 6.8 by 1.5m (north to south) and 4.7m by 1.4m (east to west). They have vertical side and are 0.4m deep.
E - SX 6939 8022: on the slope above the works against the east side of the Challacombe-Headland Warren track is a rectangular building platform. It is cut sharply into the slope on the west to 1.7m and measures 5.6m by 3.7m internally. It is defined by in-falling slopes 0.5m high on the north and south low bank 0.3m high on the downslope.
A track leads southeast from the site, crossing the river via a bridge at SX 6945 8017 and on to the Challacombe road. It was probably built as a service track for the works. A rim sherd of a bread crock, possibly 16th/17th century, was found in this track at SX 6950 8020 in 1987 (Devon SMR).
The function of the works is not known for certain but it was probably a stamping and/or dressing plant.
The works were in use c.1852 and operated as part of East Birch Tor mine. Plan drawings on the time reproduced by Broughton show the site in outline, including the wheel at the north end with at least two buildings and other walls to the south (Transactions of the Cornish Institute of Engineers 24 1968-9 25-49 (Broughton DG)).
In a list of doubtful or uncertain tin mills Greeves suggests the position of these works might indicate a pre-19th century origin (1981, 368).
Partly visible on A.Ps. Surveyed at 1:2500 with SX 67 NE 111.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1997, Tin Stamping Mills of Dartmoor after AD 1750, 6-8 (Article in Serial). SDV346020.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8658 - Challacombe, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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