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Summary

No structure remains; three mortar stones are built in at base of quoins of modern sheds. In 1980, the barn on the site of the mill was demolished to make way for a new house. No structural remains of the medieval mill were found, and foundation trenches produced no significant archaeological material, although numerous stone artifacts were recovered from the demolition rubble.

Summary from record MDV2339:
Unique in that one of the stones, which has been built into the foundation of a shed, contains four mortars lineally arranged. No structure that can be identified as a blowing house. The three mortar stones that are built in at the base of the quoins of relatively modern sheds. A fourth stone, set as a foundation of a wooden shed, has six mortars, one discreet, three confluent, and two confluent. Also a stone with a bearing for a small iron axle (worth). Large number of stone artifacts found during demolition of barn.35 complete or fragmentary mortarstones, 1 fragmentary tin mouldstone, 2 halves of a broken millstone, 1 stone inscribed with the initials i. B. , 1 inscribed with the roman numeral x, 1 fragment of possible crazing millstone, or bearing stone, and 2 pieces of a grindstone. Large granite trough also on site. Mortarstones showed evidence of continuous use with several examples of stones being used on more than one face. Many of the larger artifacts have been incorporated into the hedgebank surrounding the property (greeves + weddell).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NW5
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439059
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NW/28
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NW/28/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BLOWING HOUSE? (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Unknown, DD22524 (Record Office Collection). SDV251836.

Worth, R. H., 1940, Notes on some Dartmoor Blowing Houses, 205, pl. 13, fig. 2 (Article in Serial). SDV218987.

Little Horrabridge. Mortar stones. Unique in that one of the stones, which has been built into the foundation of a shed, contains four mortars lineally arranged. No structure that can be identified as a blowing house. The three mortar stones that are built in at the base of the quoins of relatively modern sheds. A fourth stone, set as a foundation of a wooden shed, has six mortars, one discreet, three confluent, and two confluent. Also a stone with a bearing for a small iron axle.

Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Blowing House, 227 (Article in Serial). SDV154693.

(SX 51506962) Three mortar-stones from a blowing house are built in at the base of the quoins of relatively modern sheds at Little Horrabridge, but no structure of a blowing-house can be identified. One stone is 2 feet 7 inches in length and has four mortars in a line (the greatest number known to be so arranged). The other two stones have two mortars each. There is a fourth stone set as the foundation of a wooden shed, bearing six mortar holes. There is also a stone with a bearing for a small iron axle.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX56NW5, Plan (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV251831.

(25/07/1950) Site of a blowing house. The leat can still be traced nearby (citing Worth, R. H., 10/12/1948)
Two stones, each with two mortar holes, besides those recorded by Worth, were located. One is in the south-west corner of the westerly building and the other inside the building under rubble. The axle bearing showed recent damage.
At SX 51486962 are possible remains of a water-wheel pit, being a rectangular depression 4.5m. by 1.2m. up to 0.15m. deep, 3.0m. from the south-west side of the building.

Greeves, T. A. P. + Weddell, P. J., 1980, Salvage operation at the site of a Medieval tin mill at Horrabridge, West Devon. Preliminary report., 2-3 (Article in Serial). SDV251833.

In 1980, the barn on the site of the mill was demolished to make way for a new house. No structural remains of the medieval mill were found, and foundation trenches produced no significant archaeological material, although numerous stone artifacts were recovered from the demolition rubble. Barn is marked on the Walkhampton tithe map of 1840.
Large number of stone artifacts found during demolition of barn: 35 complete or fragmentary mortarstones, one fragmentary tin mouldstone, two halves of a broken millstone, one stone inscribed with the initials "I. B." , one inscribed with the Roman numeral "X", one fragment of possible crazing millstone, or bearing stone, and two pieces of a grindstone. Large granite trough also on site. Mortarstones showed evidence of continuous use with several examples of stones being used on more than one face. Many of the larger artifacts have been incorporated into the hedgebank surrounding the property.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, No.39 (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

Blowing mill (undocumented) or knocking mill documented 1528. Field evidence.

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

Not visible on 1946 aerial photographs..

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 43 (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds

• FDV3093 - MORTAR STONE (XI to Unknown - 1066 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV8389 - Watching brief on supposed tin mill, Horrabridge

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