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Summary

A leat, now disused and silted, formerly supplied water to power one of the stamping mills at Eylesbarrow Mine, but was later diverted to the 50ft pumping wheel (at SX59286822). It now can be traced to SX59306820 where it is lost in deep heather. It crossed the extensive streamworkings on the Drizzlecombe Brook (SX66NW84) via a channel in the abandoned workings. (Leat 1 running from the River Plym to supply the stamping mills forming part of the 19th century Eylesbarrow Tin Mine). See also MDV24925.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021055: Eylesbarrow Tin Mine and associated remains

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE365?
• National Monuments Record: SX66NW161
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1237601
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1448378?
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/27/2
• Old SAM Ref: 34467 (PART)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Cook, R. M. L., 1974, Eylesbarrow (1814- 1852): A Study of a Dartmoor Tin Mine, 178-9 (Article in Serial). SDV231127.

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

Eylesbarrow. Traceable leats brought water from the River Plym and the Langcombe Brook to the mine. Narrow hillside reservoir beside the main Sheepstor-Eylesbarrow track was fed by the Langcombe Leat. Three miles of leat were dug in circa 1816. All the machinery at the mine was water-operated. Not visible on 1946 verticals.
Leat extends through enclosure and openwork (SX66NW36) to run off edge of map at SX60006735.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 157182 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Leat 630m south-west of Eylesbarrow, forming part of Eylesbarrow Tin Mine. At end near the engine wheel this leat measures 0.9 metres wide by 0.3 metres deep. Bracken and grass covered (9/5/2002)

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

(14/07/1999) A leat, now disused and silted, formerly supplied water to power the 50ft pumping wheel (at SX59286822). It now can be traced to SX59306820 where it is lost in deep heather. It crossed the extensive streamworkings on the Drizzlecombe Brook (SX66NW84) via a channel in the abandoned workings.
At a later date the leat was diverted (at SX59536724) cutting across the disused leat (SX66NW162) 30m to the south and it emptied into the Drizzlecombe Brook at SX59166742.

Newman, P., 1999, Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine, 105-148 (Article in Serial). SDV231130.

Of the Eylesbarrow Mine leats the stamping mill leat to the west was probably constructed before 1804 and extended in 1814. A second leat to the east was constructed between 1814-16 and served the 3 upper stamping mills and the engine wheel 1 and extended for 2.1 kilometres from the River Plym at the foot of Crane Lake at SX60876826 to the reservoir at SX59706795. Parts of the leats are shown on the 1:2500 survey.
Map object based on this source.

Newman, P., 1999, Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine, 35, Figure 2, Appendix 3 (Report - Survey). SDV352201.

Water supplies diverted from the River Plym and its tributaries as well as seasonal sources had long been used in the upper Plym valley at streamworks, openworks and tin mills prior to the 19th century episode of tin mining. Of the Eylesbarrow Tin Mine leats the stamping mill leat (L1) was probably constructed before 1814. It runs from the River Plym at Grid Reference SX60586778 and follows the contours of Drizzlecombe Hill to Supply Stamping Mills 4, 5 and 6 as well as the Smelting House. In 1847 it was extended for a further 580 metres to the north to supply the 50 foot waterwheel at Engine Wheelpit 2.

Whitbourne, A., 2001, Visit to Eylesbarrow Mine, 2-3 (Article in Serial). SDV231129.

The long reservoir held water to supply the leat which powered the wheels of the dressing floors below.

English Heritage, 2005, Leats Survey Information (Report - Survey). SDV347529.

Leat shown on survey.

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

(01/05/2006) SX 5942 6824 Three dry leats on the lower western slopes of Eylesbarrow, two of which may be associated with Eylesbarrow Mine wheelpit. The mine leats cut a sinuous course down the hillside extending between the area south of the mine buildings to just east of the wheelpit at SX 5927 6821. The third leat cuts a north-north-west course along the contour, crossing the Eylesbarrow Reave and fading out to the north in a marshy area. The leat channels are up to 1m wide in places and 0.6m deep with a linear mound of spoil on the downslope side. Although the leats may be have been used to supply the waterwheel, no association can be identified on the ground.
(01/08/2006) This leat originally supplied water to the stamping mill at SX 5929 6771(SX 56 NE 250) but was later diverted to the 50ft pumping wheel (SX 56 NE 261).

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Line of leat visible on aerial photograph.

English Heritage, 2013, Eylesbarrow Tin Mine and associated remains (Schedule Document). SDV231131.

The 19th century Eylesbarrow Tin Mine opened in 1814 and continued until 1852. During this time several companies were formed to run the mine and most failed to make a profit. Eylesbarrow's importance stems from its unrivalled array of 19th century mining remains making it the largest and most informative example of a large scale water powered tin mine in Britain. At least 27 shafts and five adits were cut to reach the tin lodes, seven whim platforms and two water powered engine wheels were built to power the lifting and pumping machinery, a series of tramways were made to carry the ore to six separate stamping mills and, to complete the picture, a smelting house was constructed to smelt the processed tin from the stamping mills. The size of the operation is further emphasised by the large number of ancillary buildings constructed to serve the mine. Amongst these are a count house, dormitory accommodation, blacksmith's shop, powder houses, sample house and various storage buildings.

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

Parts of the least depicted on the modern mapping. Map object based on this source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape
• EDV6239 - Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine
• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• EDV8711 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area

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