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Summary

Substantial tin openwork with extensive but less deep workings stretching to the west. On the west side of a track and running parallel to it. Major and important tin workings here, with documentary records from 1440. The workings extend northwards and north eastwards downslope to the White Water.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of extensive tin workings and tin mill building in the northern part of Rushford Wood, with possible medieval origins

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX78NW70
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1469311
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78NW/256

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BEAMWORK (XV to Early 20th Century - 1401 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• EXTRACTIVE PIT (XV to Early 20th Century - 1401 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• OPEN CUT (XV to Early 20th Century - 1401 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• TIN WORK (XV to Early 20th Century - 1401 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Greeves, T. A. P., 1989, Archaeological Features in Rushford Wood, Chagford (Un-published). SDV249082.

SX 7018 8987 Tin openwork with extensive but less deep workings stretching to the west. Within Rushford Wood, on the west side of a track and running parallel to it. Major and important tin workings here, not fully investigated. Probably medieval in origin (tinworks in the north part of Rushford Wood are documented in 1441-2). The workings extend northwards and north eastwards downslope to the White Water.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 24 (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

Situated in remnants of ancient woodland. Site of (possibly 16th century) stamping mill at lower end.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 63 (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

Remains of a large and impressive Medieval and later tin beamworks within Rushford Wood. The beamworks has a V-shaped profile and were documented during the 15th century. There are slight ruins of a stamping mill at the northern edge of the wood.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DTM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360208.

Lidar data shows the remains of the openwork to some extent.

Passmore, M., 2000, Tinworking in Rushford Wood, Chagford (Article in Serial). SDV249084.

Tin working extending for approximately 300 metres on a north-south alignment with alluvial and lode deposits.

Bodman, M., 2015, Mills on the Teign. A gazetteer of water-powered sites on the Teign and Bovey and their tributaries, 59 (Monograph). SDV360401.

Rushford Wood tin workings, Chagford SX 7024 9002. Evidence of tin working including an openwork and tin streaming on a north-south alignment, covering around 300m. Sources exist from the 1440s, when the wood was owned by the Knapman family, wealthy tin adventurers. A surviving mill structure measures 7.4m by 4.0m internally and an open bearing stone for a waterwheel shaft survived in 1990.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8838 - Survey of archaeological features in Great Tree Park Wood

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.