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Summary

Kit Tin Mine was a small scale mine approximately 320 meters south-east of Sheepstor with remains of the forge, buddles and wheelpit still existing on the site, just meters from the road south of Yellowmead Down. Thought to have been known as 'Ringmoor Down Mine' in 1809 and 'Sheepstor Tin Mine' in the mid to late 19th century. Worked by Kit Tine Mines Limited between 1901-1904 and some further works at the mine carried out in 1915-16 and 1918-19.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE392
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1468892
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/140

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MINE SHAFT (First mentioned, XIX to Mid 20th Century - 1822 AD to 1934 AD (Between))
• TIN MINE (First mentioned, XIX to Mid 20th Century - 1822 AD to 1934 AD (Between))
• BUDDLE (Constructed, Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1901 AD to 1934 AD (Between))
• DRESSING FLOOR (Constructed, Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1901 AD to 1934 AD (Between))
• FORGE (Constructed, Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1901 AD to 1934 AD (Between))
• ORE STORE (Constructed, Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1901 AD to 1934 AD (Between))
• WHEEL PIT (Constructed, Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1901 AD to 1934 AD (Between))
• SHELTER (Late 20th Century - 1967 AD to 2000 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Kit Tin Mine' depicted on the Second Edition Ordnance Survey map.

Ramsden, J. V., 1952, Notes on the Mines of Devonshire, 97 (Article in Serial). SDV60737.

K4 Kit. Tin. Other details: Figure 1.

Ordnance Survey, 1954, Untitled Source (Cartographic). SDV345535.

'Kit Tin Mine (disused)' indicated on 1954 map.

Burt, R. + Waite, P. + Burnley, R., 1984, Devon and Somerset Mines, 77-78 (Article in Serial). SDV347761.

Kit Mine, Sheepstor (SX563675). Tine mine owned between 1901-1904: Kit Tin Mines Limited (suspended 1903). Chief agent 1901-1904: Alf Thomas, employed 15 men in 1901, 9 in 1902, 15 in 1903 and 10 in 1904.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 30 (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

Kit Tin Mine. Sited within enclosed land at Sheepstor. Surface remains include a stamps wheelpit and buddles, adjacent building and an adit. One of the last Dartmoor mines to work. Photographic record survives of the stamps. On site of mid-19th century (and possibly earlier) mine. At risk from agricultural improvement.

Richardson, P. H. G., 1992, The Mines of Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley after 1913, 89-93 (Article in Serial). SDV323598.

This miniscule mine possessed all the basic elements of a minng operation, but on a very small scale and many features were still in situ well within living memory, located only yards from the road. The site is thought to be an old one; in 1822 Lysons listed ‘Ringmoor Down Mine’ which was last worked in 1809 (which R. H. Worth indicated was later re-opened as Kit Tin Mine). Wood’s Map of Dartmoor (approximately 1850s) shows ‘Sheepstor Tin Mine’ at this approximate location. In 1871 J. H. Collins stated that gold, as well as tin was found at Sheepstor.
The official Lists of Mines of the United Kingdom refers to a re-opening by Kit Tin Mines Limited (apparently unsuccessful) between 1901-1904 and it is thought some further exploratory work was carried out in 1915-16. The Mines Lists for 1918 and 1919 record it again, when the P. F. T. Corporation of London employed three men at Kit. Detailed examinations of the mine by C. F. Ferguson in 1919 and C. F. Barclay in 1925 give further detail about the mine.
In the mill area a waterwheel 6 meters in diameter by 0.6 meters wide drove an 8-head battery of cornish stamps. A smaller waterwheel worked three buddles. There was also a blacksmith's shop and a building used as a 'dry'.
When visited in 1934 the stamps and gearing from the waterwheel were more or less intact but the wheel itself had collapsed into the wheelpit. Other remains were also in good order and the new mine shaft was open to about 7 fathoms. By the mid-1950s the shaft had become filled in to the surface and by the mid-1970s virtually all traces of shafts, dumps etc in the southern, diamond-shaped field had been obliterated and the area grassed over. The stamps were removed from the site in 1936 and sold for scrap and the mill area is now heavily overgrown. The forge and the wheelpits are in good order however and the concrete buddles are easily discernable.
(A sketch plan of the surface features visible in 1934 includes shafts to the south of the mine in the diamond-shaped field) Other details: Plate 40-43, Figure 16. Map object based on this Source.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 3 (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

Remains of a small early 20th century tin mine to the south of the road from Sheepstor to Collyton Farm. The mine may have been a reopening of an earlier mine called Ringmoor Down Mine, which was worked in 1822 and later as Sheepstor Mine. It was a small mine, probably never worked by more than 12 men. Between 1919-25 a second shaft was dug. The mine closed by 1934. The shafts have been backfilled, but surface features survive including the dressing floor with an associated wheel pit, three concrete buddles and the possible remains of either a forge, or an ore store which has been roofed and later used as an animal shelter.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 24, 53 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

'Kit Tin Mine' mill on Sheepstor Brook.

Whitbourn, A., 2001, An Archaeological Investigation into features comprising, and associated with, Ditsworthy Warren, 82, Appendix 4 (Report - Assessment). SDV360381.

Sheepstor Mine.

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

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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