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Summary

Small mine in the Wray Valley, worked for micaceous haematite in the early 20th century (1920-1938). Worked in close association with Pepperdon/Moorwood Mine, Wray also recorded under the name Wraybarton.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of Wray Mine, worked for micaceous haematite in the early 20th century

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record
• National Record of the Historic Environment
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SE/90
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ADIT (Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1920 AD (Between) to 1938 AD (Between))
• Micaceous Haematite Mine (Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1920 AD (Between) to 1938 AD (Between))
• MINE BUILDING (Built, Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1920 AD (Between) to 1938 AD (Between))
• TRAMWAY (Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1920 AD (Between) to 1938 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Remains of the mining area appear visible on the 1940s aerial photographs.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1978, Mines survey in Wray Cleave and Shaptor Woods, 26/10/1977 (Report - Survey). SDV300583.

Most significant remains are site of dressing floors of Pepperdon or Wray Mine. Was being worked in the early 20th century for micaceous haematite. Also various remains of walls and buildings including a stack. All structures cement-faced and some are of brick.

McCrone, P., 1985, An Archaeological Survey of Some Dartmoor Woodlands, 5, WC01, fig 3 (Report - Survey). SDV360479.

Mine buildings - SX 7710 8485
Remains consist of an adit now blocked and partly bulldozed and associated ore dressing areas. From a levelled area at the mouth of this adit there is access to the ore dressing area of the mine where a concreted channel probably carried the ore into stamps or crushes. The bases for these are visible as concrete slabs with protruding blots. One of these blocks may have held an engine to drive stamps, buddles, etc. Three circular buddles would have concentrated the crushes ore with settling or slime tanks leading off from one of the buddles. There is the remains of a chimney stack and several buildings one of which was used for drying ore before packing and despatch from the mine.
On the hillside above the main buildings is a large (7m by 3m) concrete lined tanks which was presumably a water tank for the processing activities of the mine. Most of the remains of buildings are concrete faced, the building material being largely stone but some brick is used (e.g. for the quoins of the chimney stack).

(May 1985) Processing area of mine, three adits of which exist in Wray Cleave Wood. Remains consist of channels for washing ore through machinery, machinery bases of drying chimney and three circular buddles with associated settling tanks. There is also a water tank on the hillside above these buildings.
Mine was producing micaceous haematite during the 1920s and 1930s. One adit is next to the processing area. Two others with associated spoil heaps and tramways at SX77258486 and SX77288482. Also two blocked shafts at SX84797731.

Richardson, P. H. G., 1992, The Mines of Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley after 1913, 67-68 (Article in Serial). SDV323598.

Worked for micaceous iron ore in the 1920s as Wray Barton then from 1929 until 1938 for red ochre as Wray.

Brooks, T., 2016, Kelly Mine and the 'Shiny Ore' Mines of the Wray Valley, 5, 89- (Monograph). SDV359934.

Wray Mine is also referred to as Wraybarton and appears to have been closely worked/worked with Pepperdon/Moorwood Mine to the south-east. Ownership of Wraybarton Mine is recorded in 1920 as C. J. Payne and J. N. Mullis of Wray Mine, who were prospecting for ‘shiny ore’. Ownership changed over the next few years, and the business was carried out at Wray Barton Farm. The mine was tiny and only employed a couple of men underground and another two on the surface (up to five on the surface in1922-3; when the dressing plant was constructed at SX771848?). The business was up for sale again in 1926 and is said to have been also worked for red ochre, but no clear evidence of this has been found. Work at the mine apparently ceased in 1938.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7392 - Archaeological condition survey in Wray Cleave Woods
• EDV7430 - Woodland Survey (1985) in Wray Cleave, Sanduck Wood, Caseley Wood, Kings Wood and Fingle Woods

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