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Summary

Approximately 20 hectares of streamworking remains flanking the Rattle Brook and its tributaries. The workings are very well defined by steep cliffs on average 2.5 metres high and appear to be relatively undisturbed by later activity

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and walling remains of Rattlebrook Mine, including late 18th century stamping mill, extensive streamworks on the Rattle Brook and prehistoric enclosures
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later tin streamworking along Dead Lake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58NE47
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1063932
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58NE/55

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• STREAMWORK (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

National Monument Record, 1969, NMR SX5888, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV246138.

National Monuments Record, 1979, NMR SF1510, 257 (Aerial Photograph). SDV273995.

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

Extensive streamwork visible on the aerial photographs along the Rattlebrook.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 108, Map 32 (Monograph). SDV219155.

The Rattle Brook and its Dead Lake tributary were the only major source of tin in the Tavy valley. Streamworks are contiuous along the Rattle Brook for 2.5 kilometres up river from a little above Dead Lake junction to beyond Bleak House.

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

(12/08/1994) Centred SX 5625 8510. Approximately 20 hectares of streamworking remains flanking the Rattle Brook and its tributaries within Dartmoor Forest Parish. The workings are very well defined by steep cliffs on average 2.5 metres high and appear to be relatively undisturbed by later activity. They exist as narrow bands flanking the Rattle Brook and its east bank tributaries with a broad zone, up to 150 metres wide, at their confluence. The workings display the characteristic pattern of linear spoil heaps and water channels while the upper reaches of the tributaries where no remains are visible exhibit deepened stream beds indicative of this type of tin extraction.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(15/02/2004) 1:2500 survey extended to encompass right bank of stream within the Ministry of Defence Licence area.
Centred SX 56258510. Approximately 30 hectares of streamworks flank the Rattle Brook and its tributaries. The extractive remains are as described in 1994. Within the working on Dead Lake, a right bank tributary, are the remains of a small building (MDV116550) while another (MDV12851) lies on the unworked floodplain 400 metres north-east of Chat Tor. The processing area and an adit belonging to the former Rattlebrook Mine (MDV3176) occupy part of the former streamworkings on the upper reaches of the brook.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

Parts of the streamwork depicted on the modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7620 - Okehampton Artillary Range
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV7368 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy (1998)
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range
• EDV6663 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6664 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6665 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8141 - Condition survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8813 - Archaeological and historical investigation of Peat Cutting on North-Western Dartmoor

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