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Summary

Cleave Mine, includes earthwork features probably in use from 13th century onwards. Also known as Ware mine in the 19th century. Earthworks of sub-oval, curvilinear and irregularly shaped pits and banks, interpreted as extractive pits, shafts and spoil heaps associated with this mine are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 and 2019.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX46NW/537

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MINE (XIII to XIX - 1201 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Claughton, P., 02/03/2004, Fifteenth Century Leat Cuttings and Tunnels in Shillamill and Broadmoorham Woods, Tavistock (Correspondence). SDV336558.

Material from Cleave Wood, believed to be residues from lead/silver (bole) smelting, was found during analysis to be 19th century boiler cinder (with a high iron content).

Claughton, P. F., 04/01/1993, Mine at Bere Alston; Collapse of Ground at Cleave Mine. (Correspondence). SDV344106.

Cleave Mine, also known as Ware Mine, was worked in the earlier 19th century, however there is a good chance that working south of the Weirquay to Bere Alston road are Elizabethan or earlier and are relatively untouched. Here an area of disturbed ground is indicative of working by numerous shallow shafts, 19th century activity being confined to the area south of Cleavelands where there is little evidence of shallow working. However, heaps of slag found on the site were found to have a high iron content, and msy be of 19th century origin. Other details: Plan.

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

The earthworks correspond with land parcels 1440, 1441, 1450 and 1442 which are recorded as ‘Waste’, ‘Mine Park Orchard’, ‘Ware Mine’ and ‘Ware Tin Hill’, respectively.

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

Possible earthworks are depicted in this location.

Unknown, 1842, Bere Ferrers (Cartographic). SDV344147.

Area north of Cleavelands as far as Gullytown appears to be depicted as spoil heaps and identified as "Ware Mine, Houses and Garden" on Bere Ferrers Tithe Map. The field to the east was recorded as "Ware Tin Hill" Other details: Plots 1450 + 1442.

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

Area depicted as largely wooded on first edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map. Map object based on this Source.

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

Earthworks are shown in this location.

Booker, F., 1967, Industrial Archaeology of the Tamar Valley, 54-60, 67 (Monograph). SDV240774.

Also known as East Tamar Consols, the mine was one of several on the eastern silver/lead lode on the Bere Alston peninsula.

Hamilton Jenkin, Dr. A. K., 1974, Mines of Devon. Volume 1: The Southern Area, 36-8 (Monograph). SDV336694.

Mayer, P., 1990, Calstock and Bere Alston Silver/Lead Mines in the 14th Century, 79-95 (Article in Serial). SDV343017.

Cranstone, D., 1991, The Lead Industry (Report - non-specific). SDV90317.

Site visit during 1990. Earthwork features, undisturbed in woodland. Includes buddle-like features standing as impressive earthworks, dressing waste tips, leats in good condition, intact in-situ slag tips, the earthwork remains of shafts and other features. The in-situ slag is strongly suggestive of an undisturbed medieval site. Part of Bere Alston royal mines which are referenced from 1290's onwards. Other details: Number 1F.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 19-APR-2019 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

Earthworks of sub-oval, curvilinear and irregularly shaped pits and banks are visible.

Rippon, S. + Claughton, P. + Smart, C., 2009, Mining in a Medieval Landscape: The Royal Silver Mines of the Tamar Valley, 74-8 (Monograph). SDV344097.

Earthwork mounds formed by shallow shafts are visible in Cleave Wood, and may be related to the initial workings of that section of the lode deposit. They are encroached upon and partially covered by late 18th century residues. Lack of documentary evidence for working in this area between the early 16th century and the late 18th century re-working suggests they are probably medieval in origin. They represent the southernmost point on the mineralised cross-course where there is evidence of any continuous exploitation at or close to the surface. Other details: Figueres 4.2-3. Map object based on this Source.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Map object based on this Source.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Tellus LAST RETURN 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV363955.

Earthworks of sub-oval, curvilinear and irregularly shaped pits and banks are visible.

Hegarty, C., Houghton, E., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M project) (Interpretation). SDV363945.

A concentration of sub-oval, curvilinear and irregularly shaped pits and banks, between 12-85 metres long, is visible as earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 and 2019. The visible earthworks occupy an area of circa 2.8 hectares of north-west facing slope.
Transcription of these earthworks was carried out primarily using Simple Local Relief and Positive Openess lidar visualisations. Given their complexity and in places subtle nature, not all visible earthworks have been transcribed and an extent of area polygon has been used to define the approximate limit of the earthworks.
The earthworks correspond with land parcels 1440, 1441, 1450 and 1442 on the mid-19th century Parish Tithe Map, which are recorded as ‘Waste’, ‘Mine Park Orchard’, ‘Ware Mine’ and ‘Ware Tin Hill’, respectively, on the accompanying Tithe Apportionment. Possible earthworks are additionally shown within these land parcels on this map. Earthworks are also shown in this location on both the late-19th century and early-20th century First and Second Edition Ordnance Survey maps.
The earthworks are therefore interpreted as the extractive pits, shafts and spoil heaps of this mine, that had passed out of use by the late-19th century.
One of the earthworks at SX43626485 corresponds with a feature recorded in this area from aerial photographs as part of the Tamar Valley NMP project. Further details from the survey database of this feature, including aerial photograph references and interpretive text, are awaiting accessioning. It has been re-transcribed during this survey from lidar data which has provided additional clarity and detail as well as improved spatial accuracy, but which was unavailable to the previous survey.
Several of the transcribed earthworks correspond with child records of this mine, including building platform MDV76223, shaft MDV48789 and spoil heap MDV48788. These child records have not been individually amended and the attribute data for the transcriptions of these features have been appended to this parent record.

Buck, C., 27/04/2010, Lode of Silver Mines (Correspondence). SDV344548.

Attached copy of part of John Hobart's map of 1737 shows the lode of the silver mines from South Tamar Consols northwards through 'Clave' and 'Wear'.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8345 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M) (Ref: ACD2380)

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