See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Site of a possible tinner's hut or stamping mill situated on the valley floor within the Upper Newleycombe Valley streamworks. The building measures 7 metres by 3 metres internally with roughly dressed large boulders as walling up to 1 metre high and 1 metre thick. It has a vertical earthen south side where it has been cut into the steep slope. The entrance would have been in the north side. The building is undateable but is likely to be Medieval, or post-medieval, and contemporary with the tin streaming. Fieldwork in 1979 interpreted the site as a tinner's hut, however, an archaeological field survey identified the structure as a stamping mill, the details of which have been recorded in a separate record see Monument HOB UID 1446212).

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Raddick Hill to Nun's Cross, including extensive tinning remains at Cramber Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE174
• National Monuments Record: SX56NE343
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1446212
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438992
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/478
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX56NE174

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) TINNERS HUT (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• BUDDLE (XVIII to XIX - 1767 AD to 1900 AD (Between))
• RESERVOIR (XVIII to XIX - 1767 AD to 1900 AD (Between))
• STAMPING MILL (XVIII to XIX - 1767 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Greeves, T., 02/01/1991, No Title (Correspondence). SDV220912.

The building is a tin mill with associated dressing floor and buddles.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1979, South West Water Authority Burrator Survey (Report - non-specific). SDV278356.

SX 58906985. Tinner's Building.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX56NE174 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV220911.

(23/05/1979) At SX 58926984 on the valley floor in the area of tin streaming of Newleycombe Lake is the remains of a tinner's hut. It measures 7.0m by 3.0m internally with roughly dressed large boulders as walling up to 1.0m high and 1.0m thick. It has a vertical earthen south-side where it has been cut into the steep slope. The entrance would have been in the north side. The building is undatable but is likely to be Medieval, or post-medieval, and contemporary with the tin streaming in the locality.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England Aerial Photograph Unit, 1985, The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England Aerial Photograph Project (Interpretation). SDV340940.

Streamwork shown here.

Newman, P., 1996, Early Tin Mills in the Newleycombe Valley, 9-10 (Article in Serial). SDV220914.

Mill structure on south bank of river opposite Newleycombe Farm. Walls of building are overgrown but visible with two clear buddles and a channel to east of mill. To west of building is a hollow area which could have been a reservoir.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 23, No. 46 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA070 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA070.

Newman, P., 2006, Cramber Tor Training Area Archaeological Field Investigation (Report - Survey). SDV233640.

(01/08/2006) A ruined rectangular building. A possible stamping mill or tin processing works on the south side of Newleycombe Lake at the foot of the valley floor escarpment. The building is very ruinous but a large earthwork above and to the west and a set of likely buddles on the flat area to the north suggest this is the site of a mill, probably of late 18th-19th century date. Overwhelmed by bracken in summer. Poor condition, status stable. Probably a stamping mill. See SX 56 NE 343

Newman, P., 2007, Cramber Tor Training Area Monument Baseline Condition Survey, Nos. 1446212 & 438992 (Report - Survey). SDV348210.

(01/08/2006) A possible tin stamping mill or tin processing works on the south side of Newleycombe Lake at the foot of the valley floor escarpment. The building is very ruinous and partially overwhelmed by turf but a large earthwork above which may have been a reservoir, and a set of likely buddles on the flat area to the north, strongly hint that this is the site of a mill. Though undocumented it is likely to be of late-18th to 19th century date.
The approximate dimensions of the building are 7.6m by 2.8m but very little of the masonry remains. Part of the north wall still stands, and vestiges of the end walls but the south revetment wall is not visible. There are no obvious remains of a wheelpit. The probable reservoir is west of the building, 3m above it at the top of the escarpment which forms the edge of the valley floor streamworks. It is cut into the moderate slope of the hillside and has a linear bank on the north side. It measures approximately 57m long by 11m wide and 1.2m deep. The western end has been disturbed. The probable buddles are located north-east of the structure on flat ground. They consist of two rectangular hollows, now silted and filled with rushes, each approximately 3.5m by 1.5m, which merge into a single channel of 8m long.

Probert, S., 2008, Follow-Up Works to Cramber Tor Archaeological Baseline Condition Survey, Dartmoor Training Area, 15, No. 1446212 (Report - Survey). SDV351304.

Bracken infested site. A bracken 'stamp' whereby emerging shoots are trampled is planned for late spring/early summer.

Greeves, T., 2012, Cramber Tor Training Area. Monument Condition Survey, Nos. 1446212 & 438992 (Report - Survey). SDV350251.

Site visit 2nd February 2012. Condition and stability good.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Rectangular building shown.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6034 - Monument Condition Survey in Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6152 - Follow-up Works to Threatened Sites in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6153 - Monument Baseline Condition Survey in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.