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Summary

Remains of a small tin mine beside the Deancombe Brook comprising a wheelpit, building, two probable settling pits, three mortar stones, and an adit. The mine was active in the first half of the 19th century but it is possible that the site may have been worked on and off since the medieval period.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE177
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438999
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/32
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX56NE140?
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX56NE177
• Pastscape: 438999

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ADIT (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))
• BUDDLE (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))
• MINE SHAFT (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))
• SETTLING PIT (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))
• TIN MINE (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))
• WHEEL PIT (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Greeves, T. + Robinson, R., 01/02/1983, Combeshead Tin Mine (Plan - measured). SDV234197.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 292-310 (Monograph). SDV231148.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1969, A Mine in the Deancombe Valley, 197-201, Pl. 1, Fig. 1 (Article in Serial). SDV351399.

Combshead Tin Mine is located on a peninsula formed by confluence of the Narrator Brook and its main tributary. It is south of the track from Deanscombe to Eylesbarrow Tin Mine with which it was possibly connected. A mine with stamps was operating here during first half of 19th century but the mine has possibly been worked on and off since medieval times. Remains include a building, wheelpit, two probable settling pits, 3 mortar stones and adit. The building unlikely to have contained a furnace. Mortarstones are likely to have fitted on a wall beside the wheel and worked by a two-headed stamp. Building 2.74 metres by 2.44 metres.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, No. 20 (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

Combeshead/Harthell/Harthill/Dombshed. Blowing mill/knocking mill. Documented in 1571, 1581 and 1584. Possiby two sites confused here.

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

Not visible on RAF vertical photos.

Newman, P., 1987, The Moorland Meavy - a Tinner's Landscape, 231 (Article in Serial). SDV231207.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 31 (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1997, Tin Stamping Mills of Dartmoor after AD 1750, 49 (Article in Serial). SDV346020.

Evidence of a stamping mill circa 1820 at Combeshead Mine, re-using an earlier mill.

Townsend, M., 1998, Tin mining in the valley of the Narrator Brook, 9 (Article in Serial). SDV232444.

The remains of Combeshead Tin Mill include a wheelpit, 2.5 metres by 1 metre, 3 mortar stones and a 'tinners' cache' a short distance away. Thought to have been working in the 19th century.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA049, WA042 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Wessex Archaeology 2002, Site WA049, WA042.

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

(01/08/2006) A small tine mine beside Deancombe Brook comprising a stamping mill, mortar stones, building and adit. Tree roots are disturbing structures. Fair condition, declining.
SX 585683. The remains of a tin mine lie on the south side of a track which led from Deancombe to Eylesbarrow Tin Mine. The site consists of the remains of a wheelpit, a building, two probable settling pits, three mortar stones, and an adit. The wheelpit has internal dimensions of 19 feet 6 inches and between 3 feet 2 inches and 3 feet 7 inches in width. There is a walled bank behind it and the wheel was obviously of the overshot type. A section of walling 4 feet 6 inches wide, in the wheelpit, was probably the area onto which the stamp heads worked by the wheel fell. A leat course comes off the tributary of the Narrator Brook about 140 yards from the wheelpit and can be traced to a point on the hill immediately behind the pit. It is unlikely that the building was a blowing house since its dimensions, 8 feet are too small (The smallest blowing house measured by Worth was 17 feet by 8 feet). The wheel too was wrongly positioned to drive a bellows. In addition, at the probable date of this mine (early 19th century) the smelting house at the large Eylesbarrow Mine was also in use. The probable settling pits appear only as depressions. In addition to the three mortar stones there appears to be another stone, broken, with parts of two mortars showing, lying between the two pits. About 20 yards upstream from mortar stone C (plan) there is an adit almost certainly connected with the mine. The site is marked by a rectangular building on two maps of Eylesbarrow Tin Mine made between 1823 and 1831 (Plan of Ellisborough Tin Mine Plan of Dartmoor Consolidated Mines)
On a map of 1873 of the area 'Old Mine and Stamps' is marked near Combshead Farm on the south side of Narrator Brook (Plan prepared for "The Plymouth Water Base" Roborough Documents 6.5.1873). In the Plymouth and Devonport Weekly Journal of Jan 3rd 1833 there appears an advertisement for the sale of two mines, one of which was 'Combshead Tin Mine, in the Parish of Sheepstor.'
The wheelpit is constructed from moorstone and is badly disturbed and rubble filled. Only the NW wall remains to any height at 1.4m. All others are less than 0.5m high. The internal dimensions are 11m by 1.1m wide. West of the wheelpit is a small ruined building constructed from moorstone, with internal dimensions of 3.4 by 2.5m and maximum height of 0.8m. The north wall is in good condition with a mostly clear interior though the structure is covered by vegetation. Two rectangular buddles are visible beside the building surviving as earthworks. One is 3.2m by 2.0m by 0.3m deep and the other is 2.8m by 1.3m by 0.6m. Both are waterlogged and reedy. A mortarstone with multiple hollows is present to the south of the building but a second reported by authority 1 is not currently visble. The leat for the waterwheel may be traced as a shallow earthwork following a sinuous course for approximately 45m to the north. An adit portal, now blocked and boggy is located 35m SE of the building

Newman, P., 2007, Cramber Tor Training Area Monument Baseline Condition Survey, No. 438999 (Report - Survey). SDV348210.

The wheelpit, constructed of moorstone, is badly disturbed and rubble filled. Only the north-west wall remains to any height at 1.4 metres. Internal dimensions 11 metres by 1.1 metres. To the west of the wheelpit is a small ruined building, 3.4 by 2.5 metres internally. The remains of two rectangular buddles survive as waterlogged and reedy earthworks beside the building and to the south is a mortar stone with multiple hollows. The leat for the waterwheel can be traced as a shallow earthwork following a sinouos course for about 45 metres to the north. An adit portal, now blocked and boggy, is located 35 metres south-east of the building.

Probert, S., 2008, Follow-Up Works to Cramber Tor Archaeological Baseline Condition Survey, Dartmoor Training Area, 11, Figs 14, 15, No. 438999 (Report - Survey). SDV351304.

Stability of site threatened by mature thorn trees which have now been reduced to stumps. A large amount of rubbish was also cleared from the site. Suggested that condition of site be monitored on an occasional basis.

Greeves, T., 2012, Cramber Tor Training Area. Monument Condition Survey, No. 438999 (Report - Survey). SDV350251.

Site visit 5th January 2012. Good condition, stability fair. Much improved since scrub clearance. Partly very wet and rush-filled.

Greeves, T., July 1979, Devon Studies Week. Notes for Afternoon Excursion, Thursday, July 12th 1979 (Un-published). SDV230997.

Site of a 16th/17th century tin mill and also of an early 19th century tin mining site (with adit).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Unknown, SX56NE177 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV231204.

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

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