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Summary

Earthwork remains of medieval and later tin openworks within the area of King's Oven Mine on the southeast slopes of Water Hill, east of Warren House Inn. An archaeological field survey in 2002 recorded two openworks comprising deep linear gullies. One extends north -south for approximately 200 metres north of the B3212 road and has two additional branch workings on the western side. At the lower end the openwork blends into the area of streamworks at head of the Walla Brook. A small earthwork reservoir provided water to the openwork. This consists of a crescentic bank approximately 23 metres long with a central sluice opening. The other openwork has two branches. The main branch runs east - west for over 300 metres before joining the streamworks at the head of Boveycombe. A second branch extends for 148 metres. An associated reservoir has a crescentic bank 36 metres long. Beneath the sluice opening are several water channels which diverted the water to various parts of the tinworks. The openworks are undated but are likely to date between 1450 and 1750.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE391
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1362078
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/235

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Constructed, Post Medieval - 1540 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))
• LEAT (Constructed, Post Medieval - 1540 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))
• RESERVOIR (Constructed, Post Medieval - 1540 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))
• TIN WORKS (Constructed, Post Medieval - 1540 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 4314 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

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

Openwork visible on 1947 aerial. Recorded running roughly south-west by north-east.

Newman, P., 2002, Headland Warren and the Birch Tor and Vitifer Mines (Report - Survey). SDV363213.

(22/07/2002) Tin openworks at King's Oven Mine on the south-east slopes of Water Hill, east of Warren House Inn. The two tinworks are centred at SX 67458117 and SX 67628135 and consist of deep linear gullies. The former extends north -south for approximately 200 metres north of the B3212 road and has two additional branch workings on the western side. At the lower and the openwork remains blend into the area of streamworks which form the head of the Walla Brook. A small earthwork reservoir, now dry and silted, which once provided water to the tinwork is sited at SX 76418118. It consists of a crescentic bank of approximately 23 metres long with a central sluice opening. The other working has two branches. The main branch runs east - west for over 300 metres before joining the streamworks at the head of Boveycombe. A second branch of 148 metres long joins the first at the point where they meet the streamworks at SX 67678142. These workings also have remains of a reservoir at SX 67568134 comprising a crescentic bank of 36 metres long. Beneath the sluice opening are several water channels which diverted the water to various parts of the tinworks. The openworks are undated but are likely to be of post-medieval date between 1450 and 1750.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7139 - Headland Warren and the Birch Tor and Vitifer Mines Survey (Ref: A1/20/2001, A1/34/2002)

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