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Summary

Earthworks of medieval or later tin pits and a linear opencast working recorded on the southeast flank of Nakers Hill. An archaeological field survey in 1990 found the opencast working to measure up to 35 metres in width and up to 2 metres in depth. It is mainly flat bottomed but near the foot of the slope it becomes a sharply cut V-sectioned ditch measuring between 2.5 metres to 3.5 metres wide and up to 1.5 metre deep. The associated tin pits range between 3 metres and 5 metres in diameter and occur in several clusters immediately outside the working.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later tin pits and streamworking on Nakers Hill

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66NW77
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1063507
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/142
• Pastscape: 1063507

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2366 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

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

Openwork visible extending to SX64106875 in linear form but without major spoilheaps. Line of trial pits running roughly east - west, probably associated with openwork.

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

(11/11/1994) Centred SX 64076859. A linear tin working and adjacent clusters of tin pits run north to south in a slight gulley on the southeast flank of Nakers Hill. The flat-bottomed linear working, up to 2.0m deep and on average 20m wide but expanding to 35m in places, commences at SX 64096876 and runs to SX 64066852 near the foot of the slope where it becomes a sharply cut V-sectioned ditch. The latter measures 2.5 to 3.5m wide and up to 1.5m deep. It terminates at SX 64056843 on the edge of Fishlake Mire.
The associated tin pits are relatively small, in the range 3.0 to 5.0m in diameter and lie in several apparently random clusters immediately outside the working.
This type of working is somewhat enigmatic. It most closely resembles a streamwork but there are no linear spoilheaps or flowing water in the base of the working. Neither are there the reservoirs or leats usually associated with openworks and eluvial workings though it is possible that these are obscured by the surrounding peat.

Environment Agency WMS, 2022, Environment Agency LIDAR Composite DSM 2022 - 1m Last return (Cartographic). SDV365448.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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