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Summary

South Bedford Copper Mine, depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition map as 'disused' and visible as earthworks and a structure on aerial photographs taken in 1948 and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2010.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX47SW/511

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COPPER MINE (Constructed, XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD to 1880 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV1142.

Worksheet contains further details of above and copy of 1906 25" map show rough positions of workings (worksheet).

BUCK, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV219466.

Vis=19/3/1998 (buck) main complex of buildings are near engine shaft, close to the tamar. Relatively well preserved and appear to have contained a rotary steam powered winder and crusher engine. There is a well preserved cobbled floor near the open shaft and below the shaft is a substantial retaining wall with ore shoots (and faked arched doorways) for loading ore to barges for smelting. N of site is ding dong adit, with a pipe and waterwheel contraption attached. The adit is open and still drains the mines. E of mine site is a detached chimney suggesting either arsenic refining or steam engine in the e section of the mine. Mine buildings consist of substantial wall remnants. Chimney is 75% extant but flue is missing. Other building sites can be seen near main complex, as ell as earlier lode back pits and costean trenches. This mine lay at w end of an e-w lode which extended to east wheal crebor, s of tavistock (buck).

OS 1884, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256328.

Os map of 1884 shows mine as disused with a small group of buildings and a chimney close to the river.2 shafts are marked and the site of another is suggested by an area of spoil heaps to the east (os 1884).

OS 1906, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256329.

On the 1906 25" map only one of the buildings apparently remains, other details are similar to the 1884 map (os 1906).

OS 1967, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256330.

Modern 25" map shows the spoil heaps and single building close to the river (?the original centre of the mine) but does not mark the shaft here. The chimney and the 2 disused shafts (at sx43577187, sx43737188) are marked. A small trench to the e (sx43857187) may indicate the site of the 1940s working (os 1967).

1907, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256332.

South bedford mine (copper, disused) marked on os 6" (1907) map (os).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256335.

Dines, h. G. /the metalliferous mining region of sw england vol 2/(1956)669- 671.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256336.

Des=os 6" map/(1884)copy in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256337.

Des=os 25" map/(1906)copy on worksheet.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256338.

Des=os 25" map/(1967).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256339.

Des=worksheet/weddell, p.(22/2/1984)in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256340.

Des=os 6"(1907)105sw.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256341.

Des=buck, c. /preliminary assessment of sites of archaeological importance in the tamar valley/(1998)42/copy in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256342.

Des=dyer, m. J. + manning, p. T. /objective 5b: lower tamar valley recreation and land management initiative: cultura heritage appraisal/(oct 1998)37/ea report 98.60.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256343.

Des=buck, c. /preliminary assessment of industrial sites of archaeological importance in the tamar valley/(dec 1998)47/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256344.

Des=buck,c.(cornwall archaeological unit)/bedford united mine: archaeological assessment/(2003)11, figs 4 + 24/report no 2003ro43 in smr.

Dines, H. G., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV265453.

South bedford. Copper. Part of s bedford and e gunnislake group. Two main shafts and 3 adits and signs of surface workings at eastern end of mine. In this area 3 trial shafts sunk in the war in an unsuccessful search for wolfram. Recorded outputs for mine and the group suggest that it may have been working from the 1850s to 1870s. Producing a small quantity of black tin and pyrites as well as copper (dines).

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

The mine is depicted on this map as ‘disused’.

Atkinson, 1988, Index of Mines (Unknown). SDV361827.

South Bedford and East Gunnislake 1854-1873
Southeast of Gunnislake Bridge.

Production: 5,200 tons of copper; 2 tons tin.

A chimney stack wreathed in ivy can be found in Hatch Wood, south of the lodge and to the left of the footpath. Several levels belonging to this small group penetrate the steep hillside and the entrances to these adjoin both the path and the river bank.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 17-JAN-2010 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

Earthworks of sub-circular and irregularly shaped pits and banks are visible.

Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 2001-2002, Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Transcriptions and Database Records, RAF/CPE/UK/2501/4105&6 1948 (Interpretation). SDV346287.

Earthworks of spoil heaps, cut features and a structure are visible on aerial photographs of 1948.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2016, Backlog Recording of the Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Survey (Personal Comment). SDV359374.

Earthworks recorded here within Hatch Wood have been appended to this monument record. This monument record has in itself been amended from that of a monument point into a polygon to encompass these earthworks and features depicted here on historic maps. Given the partial absence of clear boundaries of this mine on these maps, the extent of this monument polygon has been difficult to define and is somewhat arbitrary.

Waterhouse, R., 2017, The Tavistock Canal. Its History and Archaeology, 207-210, fig 6.66-67, 7.25-76 (Monograph). SDV361789.

South Bedford /East Gunnislake Mine
Small, but deep mid-19th century mine that reworked the western end of the Wheal Luscombe lode (previously worked from c. 1790-1826 as Wheal Tamar). The lode continued west into Cornwall and was worked as part of the Old Gunnislake Mine main lode, referred to from the end of the 18th century onwards as East Gunnislake Mine.
Surface workings at the site survive fairly well, although some damage caused by modern forestry works has obliterated features in the area west of Endsleigh Drive (now the South Bedford Carpark). There was the pit for a large water engine here, as well as dressing floors and 1850s burning house, although parts of its short flue and a terminal chimney stack survive nearby. Remains of the mine's office building survive and (significantly) a high retaining wall revetting the Engine Shaft dump alongside the Frementor to Impham Railway (c.1860-75). This contains an ore bin, suggesting the mine's produce was moved by rail to Impham Quay in the 1860s and 1870s.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology (AI&M project) (Interpretation). SDV363945.

Earthworks of sub-circular and irregularly shaped pits and banks, interpreted as shafts, extractive pits and spoil heaps of post-medieval or 19th century mine workings associated with South Bedford Mine are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2010. The earthworks correspond with features depicted and labelled as ‘South Bedford Mine (Copper, disused)’ on the late 19th century First Edition Ordnance Survey map.
Several of the transcribed earthworks in this location correspond with child records of South Bedford Mine. These include three shafts (MDV70442, MDV70444 & MDV70452). These records have not been individually amended but are included within the monument polygon for this record.
Earthworks of pits and banks and a structure associated with this mine were also transcribed from aerial photographs taken in 1948 during the Tamar Valley NMP project. The earthworks recorded at SX43487184 are superseded by transcriptions from this survey, whilst earthworks and the structure recorded at SX43417184 complement these transcriptions.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6911 - Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme
• EDV8345 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M) (Ref: ACD2380)

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