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Summary

Listed Miner's Dry, Wheal Friendship Mine, south of Bennett's Shaft. Remains of stone building with chimney stack in the north-east corner, which was used by miners to dry their clothes etc. Only surviving example on Dartmoor. Planning application to convert building to a single storey dwelling in 2004 refused.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1249829: FORMER MINERS' DRY AT SX 5119 7916

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/82/10
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 94101

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BUILDING (XIX - 1840 AD to 1860 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Building depicted on the historic map.

Griffiths, D. M., 1988, Miner's Dry, Mary Tavy (Worksheet). SDV269640.

Site visited 22/6/1988. Stone built building with slate roof associated with nearby shaft mining (copper arsenic). Attached to east corner is stone chimney (with crenallated brick top), which suggests interpretation as a "dry" where miners dried their clothes etc. Secondary use for agriculture led to modifications, mainly the creation of doors from former windows. 19th century origin. (Annotated sketch plan included). Other details: Scanned version of a parish file source held at DCC.

Richardson, P. H. G., 1992, The Mines of Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley after 1913, 36-47 (Article in Serial). SDV323598.

The "dry" at Wheal Friendship was still standing in 1990. Depicted on plan of the later workings of the mine (1870s-1950s). Other details: Figure 5.

Thorp, J. R. L., 1997, The Miner's Dry, Mary Tavy, 1-17 (Report - Assessment). SDV347815.

Documentary history of Wheal Friendship Mine and Bennett's Shaft provided and historic context of Miner's Drys generally. The building is constructed from local stone rubble and some brick and was formerly roofed in Welsh slate with ridge tiles. It measures 17.5 meters by 5.4 meters internally and the walls stand to a height of 2.8 meters. A single storey gable-ended building six bays long, divided into two compartments. The smaller room at the south-west end was heated by a fireplace and may have been used as a changing room. The larger ‘dry’ with associated chimney stack is at the northern end of the building. It is not clear how this was heated, although steam was not used. Few fittings or fixtures could be established due to a large amount of debris on the floor.

Munro, D., 1999, The Mary Tavy / Peter Tavy Excursion, 8-9 (Article in Serial). SDV224990.

Miners 'dry' at 'Bennett's Shaft' with intact stack and large opening in one end wall. Room at other end of building has a fireplace but no internal door. The building has been purchased recently and will be consolidated and may be restored.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 2004 - 2006, 0562/04 (Planning Application). SDV347816.

Planning application to convert the dry for residential use as a single storey property refused.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Miners dry building with chimney stack depicted on the modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England, 1249829 (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

Miners' Dry, mid-19th century. Walls of uncoursed slatestone rubble; gabled dry slate roof; large circular (north-east) end stack finished in brick. Rectangular plan with large room divided by stone wall from small room with fireplace at right (south-west) end. One storey. Front (north-west) wall has segmental brick arches over two doorways and a central window; large inserted opening to right. Bolted A-frame trusses to interior. This building was constructed before 1884 and served as the "Dry" for Bennetts Shaft, one of the many workings which formed part of the Devon Friendship Mine: it is the only surviving example of a Miners' Dry on Dartmoor. (Description 1991) Other details: LB UID: 94101.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5281 - Recording of the Miner's Dry, Mary Tavy

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