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Summary

Vis=19/11/1980 (os) a tinner's mill is situated on the south bank of the colly brook, and 150m downstream of a tin streaming area are two adjacent buildings. The northern one, now little more than a pit with drystone walling sides, measuring 7m x 4.5m internally and 1m deep. The structure has been abbreviated by the construction of a later field wall. The southern building measuring 9.2m x 5.2m internally with unmortared large stone walling 0.8m wide and up to 1m high. Both buildings are within marshy ground but the southern one shows distinct traces of a wheel-pit on its northeast side and traces of a leat can be seen paralleling the stream as far back as the workings. The leat rejoins the stream to the south west of the structures. Both buildings are evidently associated with medieval workings and one is almost certainly a tinners' mill (os).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NW99
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439996
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/188

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TIN MILL (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV221755.

Osa=sx57nw99. (19/11/1980) At SX 54237782, on the south bank of the Colly Brook, and 150m. downstream of a tin streaming area (a), are two adjacent buildings.
The northern one, now little more than a pit with drystone walling sides, measures 7.0m. by 4.5m. internally and 1.0m. deep. The structure has been abbreviated by the construction of a later field wall.
The southern building measures 9.2m. by 5.2m. internally with unmortared large stone walling 0.8m. wide and up to 1.0m. high. Both buildings are within marshy ground but the southern one shows distinct traces of a wheel-pit on its northeast side and traces of a leat can be seen paralleling the stream as far back as the workings. The leat re-joins the stream to the south-west of the structures.
Both buildings are evidently associated with the probably Medieval workings and one is almost certainly a tinners' mill.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV221757.

Des=os surveyor's 2" draft/(1803-4).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV221758.

Des=greeves, t. /dtrg newsletter/13(july 1997)8-9/survey weekends 19th-20th april + 10th-11th may.
Status as a tin mill confirmed by discovery by tom greeves of a bearing stone on the edge of what must have been a wheel pit hollow + possible buddle pits (greeves 1997).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV221759.

Des=greeves, t. /dtrg newsletter/15(july 1998)4-5/progress with other walkham fieldwork.
Another bearing stone probably supported the extended stamps axle of the wheel. The distance between the two bearings is 2.75m. A mortarstone with at least 2 phases of wear was noted in the turf at probable site of the stamps pit (greeves 1998).

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

Not recorded.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(22/12/1987) SX 5423 7782. A rectangular, one-roomed structure situated within enclosed land on the S bank of the Colly Brook 6.2m by 3.5m internally, the longer axis parallel to the stream and separated from it by a field wall. The walls are of large, local, unmortared stone blocks, roughly coursed but not dressed and there is a large, upright slab 1.2m high at the W corner. An entrance in the SW end wall, 1m wide, is flanked on the N by a dressed jamb standing 1m high. The interior is sunken to a depth of almost 1m on the SE side and 0.45m adjacent to the stream. There is some fallen rubble inside.
Adjacent to the NE end wall and at right angles to the stream is a rough, linear depression c.6m by 1.2m and 0.6m deep. There is no sign of any stone lining but the feature is possibly a wheelpit. It is crossed by the stream-side field wall.
No trace of any leat, either headrace or tailrace, exists in the vicinity of the structure. There are two, irregular pits or depressions to the NE.
Commencing 70m to the NE is an extensive area of mineral extraction and streamworking for alluvial or shode tin with which this building was probably associated. Its siting close to the Colly Brook suggests that it may have been a tinners mill but there is no visible internal or external evidence to confirm this.
The building is situated in an area of land enclosed between 1804 (2) and 1843 (3) with several enclosure walls overlying the tin-workings and one separating the building from water supply; this is the only available dating evidence. It is probably Medieval or early Post-Medieval.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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