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Summary

Earthworks of extensive medieval and post medieval tin working remains situated on the west slope of Huntingdon Warren at Heng Lake. The features were recorded in an archaeological field survey in 1995 and covered an area of approximately 14 hectares. The remains follow an east-west oriented lode for 1.5 kilometres between the Wellabrook and the south side of Heng Lake. The remains commence as well-defined eluvial workings on the Wellabrook which ascend Huntingdon Warren where they give way to small shallow opencast diggings themselves superseded by large tin pits or shafts on the ridge crest adjacent to Huntingdon Barrow. A long straggling line of shallow tin pits then follows the lode down the west flank of Huntingdon Warren to the River Avon. The steep hillside above the west bank of the Avon is dissected by several opencast gulleys in a fan-like pattern each presumably following a small lode. Tin pits and shallow shafts then continue the lines of these gulleys on the level ground south of Heng Lake.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks of Huntingdon Medieval Warren including pillow mounds, vermin traps and warren house, Bronze Age hut circles, enclosures, and the Huntingdon Barrow as well as old tin workings including Huntingdon Tin Mine, Gibby Beam and Wellabrook Girt

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66NE
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1059474
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NE/151
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NE/194
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NE/195

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Constructed, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• STREAMWORKS (Constructed, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• TIN WORKS (Constructed, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV270317.

Aph=nmr sx6566/1.

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

SX 6520 6695 Openwork visible with trial pits runs from River Avon, SX 65406692 to SX 65006700 where it continues on map SX66NW.
SX 6515 6689 Small area of trial pits, linear in form. Area about 0.2 hectares.
SX 6520 6680 Small area of trial pits visible, area 0.1 hectares.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(31/01/1996) SX666616703 to SX65026695. Approximately 14ha of tinworking remains follow an E to W oriented lode for 1.5 kms between the Wellabrook and the S side of Heng Lake. The remains commence as well-defined eluvial workings on the Wellabrook which ascend Huntingdon Warren where they give way to small shallow opencast diggings themselves superseded by large tin pits or shafts on the ridge crest adjacent to Huntingdon Barrow (SX 66 NE 22). A long straggling line of shallow tin pits then follows the lode between SX 66176696 and SX 65576694 down the W flank of Huntingdon Warren to the River Avon. The steep hillside above the W bank of the Avon is dissected by several opencast gulleys in a fan-like pattern each presumably following a small lode. Tin pits and shallow shafts then continue the lines of these gulleys on the level ground south of Heng Lake.
A site report and a 1:2500 scale area survey are deposited in the archive.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

'Pit (dis)' shown on modern mapping in the middle of the line of trial pits.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.