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Summary

Former engine house situated 140 metres south of Canonteign Barton. Built in 1853, its unusually ornamental, classical style is due to the fact that it was originally visible from Canonteign House.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1163737: ENGINE HOUSE ABOUT 140 METRES SOUTH OF CANONTEIGN BARTON

Other References/Statuses

• National Buildings Record: 86292
• National Monuments Record: SX88SW22
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 447373
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX88SW/34/1
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 85592

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENGINE HOUSE (XIX to Late 20th Century - 1853 AD to 1992 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map, (1907) (Cartographic). SDV325644.

(SX 839830) Wheal Exmouth (NAT) (Disused) (NAT).

Department of Environment, 1949, St Thomas, (September 1949) (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV23741.

Ruins of an 18th century three-storeyed engine house, with two towers which were probably mine chimneys, survive at Cantonteign Barton.

Ordnance Survey, 1963-1996, 1963-1996 National Grid OS Metric, (1963) (Cartographic). SDV350058.

(SX 83748300) Tower (NAT).

Harris, H., 1968, Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor, ?793 (Monograph). SDV149229.

Lead, silver, zinc and blende were produced in the mid 19th century, and in 1870 twenty people were employed. Between 1848 and 1874 over 12 000 tons of lead ore were produced.

Schmitz, C., 1980, The Teign Valley Silver-Lead Mines 1806-1880, 59, 105 (Article in Serial). SDV351052.

Ornamental engine house and stack erected in 1853 to contain a 70 inch Hocking and Loam engine to pump the adjacent Porter's shaft. The site of the boiler house adjoing the stack. Immediately against the road, a short distance to the north-west are the remains of the ivy-covered stack and engine house of the whim engine (22 inch). To the south lie the remains of the ore linhay.

Greeves, T., 1981, Engine House (Worksheet). SDV351051.

Site visit by T. Greeves and D. Griffiths in 1981. The engine house is a substantial structure, relatively well preserved.

Department of Environment, 1988, Christow, 57 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV308409.

Engine house about 140 metres south of Canonteign Barton. Engine house at Wheal Exmouth lead and barytes mine.1853. Stone rubble with ashlar granite dressings. Unusually ornamental, in a classical style to match the adjacent octagonal ventilation shaft. Plan: rectangular on plan with a large doorway on the south west side, facing the road. Exterior: originally 3 storeys, top storey incomplete. Grand rusticated granite round-headed doorway on south west side with a keystone, rusticated granite quoins. The doorway retains a timber frame with glazing bars, presumably for margin panes and an incomplete 2-leaf arched door with plain panelling. The south east elevation, clad in ivy, with a narrow ground floor doorway and first floor doorway with surviving timber frame, second floor window with 6-pane timber frame. The north east elevation has a round headed ground floor window with ashlar masonry, a keystone and a timber frame with glazing bars; the north west elevation has 2 ground floor windows with segmental arches, ashlar voussoirs and 6-pane timber frames. Wheal Exmouth, operating from the 1850s to 1880, employed 70 underground workers in 1863. The site of the mine was visible from canonteign house, the exmouth family seat built in 1828 but later screened from it by tree planting. The ornate style was presumably employed for the sake of the view from Canonteign House.

Nance, R. W. + Nance, R. D., 1996, A Survey of Engine Houses on the Mines of South Devon, 109-122 (Article in Serial). SDV241746.

Engine house, recently converted to dwelling, 300 yards north-east of Canonteign House. Grandiose architectural style of house designed at insistence of Lord Exmouth to harmonize with nearby manor at Canonteign Barton. Footings of boiler house, large enough to house 3 boilers, adjoin engine house to east. Excavation of boiler house during building's conversion revealed a flue. Orientation suggests that octagonal stack may have been shared by either the 22 inch stamps engine or the 24 inch crusher said to have been working on the mine by 1860. Footings and a smaller decorative stack, recently cleared, to north-west of engine house, are those of 22 inch cylinder winding engine (erected in 1854-5). According to 1858 plans, the decorative top of the round stack mimicked that of the octagonal stack, the top of which has long since fallen. Footings of entire whim house survive. Boiler house door, leading to a boiler house large enough for single boiler, lay on north side.

Nance, R. D., 1996, Project Design for a Survey of Engine Houses on the Mines of South Devon (Report - Assessment). SDV222663.

Nance, R. W. + Nance, R. D., 1996, Wheal Druid and the Engine Houses of Dartmoor, 4-6 (Article in Serial). SDV340907.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

Engine House about 140 metres south of Canonteign Barton. Engine house at Wheal Exmouth lead and barytes mine. 1853. Stone rubble with ashlar granite dressings. Unusually ornamental, in a classical style to match the adjacent octagonal ventilation shaft (q.v.). Plan: Rectangular on plan with a large doorway on the south west side, facing the road. Exterior: Originally 3 storeys, top storey incomplete. Grand rusticated granite round-headed doorway on south west side with a keystone, rusticated granite quoins. The doorway retains a timber frame with glazing bars, presumably for margin panes and an incomplete 2-leaf arched door with plain panelling. The south east elevation, clad in ivy, with a narrow ground floor doorway and first floor doorway with surviving timber frame, second floor window with 6-pane timber frame. The north east elevation has a round headed ground floor window with ashlar masonry, a keystone and a timber frame with glazing bars ; the north west elevation has 2 ground floor windows with segmental arches, ashlar voussoirs and 6-pane timber frames. Wheal Exmouth, operating from the 1850s to 1880, employed 70 underground workers in 1863. The site of the mine was visible from Canonteign House (q.v.), the Exmouth family seat built in 1828 but later screened from it by tree planting. The ornate style was presumably employed for the sake of the view from Canonteign House.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website (Website). SDV364039.

Brown, K., 29/07/1989, Kew Bridge Engine Trust (Correspondence). SDV351073.

The last complete Cornish engine house surviving in Devon. Probably the largest ever built in Devon. On removal of the engine in 1862 the house was conserved to prevent it looking like a ruin. Condition of building now deteriorating.

Ordish, H. G., April 1959, Wheal Exmouth, Canonteign (Photograph). SDV351077.

Three photos of Wheal Exmouth, two showing the 1853 engine house and one of the whim engine house which was partially demolished in 1956.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8692 - National Recording Project

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