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Summary

Ten hectares of tin streamworks and lode works at Erme Pits follows the course of the upper River Erme and includes Erme Head. The limits of the main streamworking area are well defined by a scarp of between 1 metre and 4 metres deep running around most of the perimeter. The interior working area contains the usual evidence of low linear spoil heaps, pits and channels, of which, some have been reinforced by low, stone revetments.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1063445
• National Monuments Record: SX66NW72
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/136

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• OPEN CUT (Constructed, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, CPE/UK 1890, 4278 (Aerial Photograph). SDV140289.

Photograph taken on 10th December 1946.

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

Openwork extends to SX62156700 with extensive spoilheaps visible.

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

(10/11/1994) [Part of] Approximately 32ha of streamworking remains flank the left bank of the River Erme and the floodplains of three of its tributaries, Blacklane Brook, Dry Lake and Red Lake. The former workings are marked by the characteristic spoil heaps and water channels enclosed by a sharply cut cliff. In several places, most noticeably on the Blacklane Brook between SX 63066793 and SX 63026720 and at SX 63466655 on Dry Lake, are large bands of parallel linear spoil heaps most of which are revetted through at least half of the worked area appears to have been more randomly exploited or reworked at a later date. The cliffs marking their edges also remain well preserved and range in height from around 1.0m to 3.5m. Several leats (Monument HOB UID 1063683, 1063691 and 1063696) formerly feeding the sides of the streamworkings and openworks that extend up the various valley sides are visible on the surrounding hillsides and unexploited areas of floodplain.
The remains of one (Monument HOB UID 441565), possibly two (Monument HOB UID 1063737) blowing houses, seven identifiable tinners huts (Monument HOB UIDs 441565, 441635, 441638, 1063732, 1063742 and 1063753) and two other structures (Monument HOB UIDs 1063422 and 1063734) are visible within the investigated area of streamworks.
Little deposition or disturbance has occurred since the abandonment of these workings and as a consequence they constitute some of the clearest and best preserved examples of this type of tin extraction on Dartmoor.

Newman, P., 2018, Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV361913.

Area of openwork shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1, Figure 37 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

Ten hectares of tin streamworks and lode works at Erme Pits follows the course of the upper River Erme and includes Erme Head. The limits of the main streamworking area are well defined by a scarp of between 1 metre and 4 metres deep running around most of the perimeter. The interior working area contains the usual evidence of low linear spoil heaps, pits and channels, of which, some have been reinforced by low, stone revetments. Large boulders of natural moorstone were something of an obstacle for the tinners within this working, where many lie in situ having been worked around by the tinners. At the higher, western end, the streamworks become shallower before fading into narrow dry gullies branching to the south and west, which probably represent evidence for water diversion into the working area. Along the southern edge, is an area of lode working, exploited by using an opencast technique where a deep openwork has been cut, running approximately east to west, marked by sloping sides of up to 14 metres deep. Several large conical mounds with boulder outcrops, rise to the height of the original ground level, representing islands of untouched ground. Three ruined rectangular buildings have been recorded within the tinworked area, of which some may have been associated with the working episodes (MDV122900; 122894; 122895). This tinwork has not been fully dated but, where available, documentation for tinworks of this type elsewhere on Dartmoor, would suggest a likely operational date between the 12th and 17th centuries. However, according to Greeves (1981), isolated references to ‘Armehed’ in 1531 and ‘Armed Pit’ in 1671 probably refer to this place.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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