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Summary

The remains of a probable stamping mill are visible as a wheelpit and fragments of an associated building. Discovered in December 1968 on the right bank of the River Meavy between Leather Tor and Nosworthy bridges.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019583: Two stamping mills 200m and 175m north of Norsworthy Bridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE194
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439044
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/152
• Old SAM Ref: 22400

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• STAMPING MILL (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD to 1901 AD (Between))
• WHEEL PIT (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250179.

Des=greeves, t. /dcra swwa burrator survey/(1979)no.21(in smr).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250180.

Des=greeves, t. /list of known devon tin mills c.1450-c.1750/(1981)no.61 (in smr).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250181.

Worth, r. H. /dartmoor/(1953)310-311,327.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250182.

Osa=sx56ne194/plan.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250183.

Newman, p. /tda/119(1987)228/the moorland meavy - a tinners' landscape/fig 2.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250184.

Des=western times/(dec 1830).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250187.

Des=bodman, m. /water powered sites in devon/(1998)23,42/in smr.

GREEVES,1979, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250171.

Probably xv-xvii century (greeves,1979).

UNDOCUMENTED, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250172.

Stamping mill (undocumented).

GREEVES,1981, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250173.

Field evidence (greeves,1981).

7/2/1984, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV250175.

Site surveyed at 1:100 by t. Greeves + r. Robinson (7/2/1984). Plans in possession of t. Greeves.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1971, A Tinners Mill in Walkhampton parish, 197-199 fig.1 (Article in Serial). SDV250178.

SX 567695. A wheelpit and the remains of an associated building were discovered in December 1968 on the right bank of the River Meavy between Leather Tor and Nosworthy bridges. Internally the wheelpit is approximately 13 feet 6 inches long and a maximum of 3 feet 3 inches wide, which could take a wheel substantially larger than Worth's average size (9 feet 3 inches) for 44 sites.
Stones A and B (plan) form part of the wall of the wheelpit. On the upper surface of stone B is a circular hole 1 3/4 inches diameter and 2 1/4 inches deep. This stone was probably connected with a support for an extended axle of the wheel to which stamps would have been fixed. The course of the leat can be traced for about 150 yards from the wheelpit. It terminated at point L (plan) and must have supplied an overshot wheel. About 19 feet south of this point is an apparent mortar stone, obviously displaced. On one side of it are three shallow depressions.
The site was probably that of a knocking (i.e. stamping) mill, with three heads of stamps falling within the area between the edge of the wheelpit and stone B. The junction of the building in uncertain, but it may have been purely a protective cover for the machinery etc. The site is very close to that of another mill (SX 56 NE 7) and since it is unlikely that the flow of water was sufficient for two contemporary mills, they are probably of different construction dates. A lease of Nov 1st 1511 (a) relates to a mill, which according to Worth was almost certainly that near Nosworthy Farm (SX 56 NE 7) or possibly that at Riddipit (SX 57 SE 3). Greeves is of the opinion that it could equally well refer to this site.

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

Not visible on 1946 aerial photographs.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152446 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(25/02/2000) Stamping mill 200m north of Norsworthy Bridge. The mill is filled with loose rubble and sits within and earlier tinwork. Wheelpit wall is up to 1.2m high adjacent to the mill and on the leat side it is 2.5m high. The wheelpit is 4m long by 0.94m wide. Interior of the mill measures 4.6m long by 3m wide.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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