See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Northern part of Furzehill Mine. Well preserved mining earthworks in wood and scrub. Date not established, but some may be medieval. Earthworks of sub-circular and irregularly shaped pits and banks are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX46NW/538/3

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MINE (XIII to XIX - 1290 AD to 1861 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The earthworks correspond with land parcels 1686 and 1688 which are recorded as ‘Mine Park Meadow’ and as ‘Mine’, respectively.

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

Earthworks and features labelled as ‘Furzehill Mine’ are shown in this location.

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

Map object partly based on this Source.

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

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 visited during 1990. Furzehill Mine. An area of well preserved mining earthworks in wood and scrub. Includes slag scatters, dressing waste tips, the earthwork remains of possible buddles, spoil heaps and shafts, and other unspecified earthworks. Dating not established but could be medieval in part, with a good possibility of undisturbed medieval features. Otherwise could be any period up to the 18th century. Other details: 1H.

An important survivial; differs from other sub-sites in being non-linear, and on flat ground. There is a good possibility that the site includes undisturbed medieval features.

Buck, C., 1998, Preliminary Assessment of Industrial Sites of Archaeological Importance in the Tamar Valley, 55 (Report - Assessment). SDV336795.

This mine site covers the southern section of the eastern north-south silver/lead lode, which starts near South Tamar Consols (south of Weir Quay). The ore had a high silver content at surface with lead predominating at depth. Documentary evidence confirms that the area was mined for silver (financed and operated by the crown) from circa 1290. It was also worked in the early 19th century, when it was amalgamated with Whitsam and Lockridge under the name of East Tamar Consols. Closed in 1861. Other details: Site 74.

Buck, C., 1998, Preliminary Assessment of Sites of Archaelogical Importance in the Tamar Valley, 50 (Report - Assessment). SDV241750.

Other details: Site 74.

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.

Sub-circular and irregularly shaped pits and banks are visible as earthworks.

Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 2001-2002, Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Transcriptions and Database Records, CPE/UK/1890/2338 (RAF, 1946) (Interpretation). SDV346287.

Post-medieval earthworks are visible on aerial photographs of 1946. Map object partly based on this source.

Rippon, S. + Claughton, P. + Smart, C., 2009, Mining in a Medieval Landscape: The Royal Silver Mines of the Tamar Valley, 80-82 (Monograph). SDV344097.

One of four mines at Bere Ferrers, on the silver bearing deposit running from Lockridge Hill to the Tamar, in the early 14th century. At Furzehill there is the first reference to a cross cutting adit to increase depth of drainage, possibly the one shown on a map of 1737, 50 years before the revival of interest in the mines. The entrance of the adit is in a shallow valley about 95 metres to the west of the lode at Furzehill, where local information indicates there was a sinkage in the surface of the field in the 1950s. A shallow shaft mound in the south-western part of the woodland almost certainly marks the site of an air-shaft sunk on the back of the adit. Documentary evidence suggests deeper working by shafts was in progress at Furzehill by the early 16th century. Other details: Figures4.3 - 4.6. Map object based on this Source.

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

Map object based on this Source.

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.

Sub-circular and irregularly shaped pits and banks, between 5-55 metres long, are visible as earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019. The visible earthworks occupy an area of circa 1.67 hectares of south-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 so an extent of area polygon has been used to define their approximate limits.
The earthworks correspond with land parcels 1686 and 1688 on the mid-19th century Parish Tithe Map which are recorded as ‘Mine Park Meadow’ and as ‘Mine’, respectively, on the accompanying Tithe Apportionment. The pits and banks also correspond with several earthworks and features depicted and labelled as ‘Furze Hill Mine’ on both the late-19th century and early-20th century First and Second Edition Ordnance Survey maps.
The earthworks are interpreted as the extractive pits, shafts and spoil heaps associated with this mine, that had passed out of use by the late-19th century.
Two of the transcribed earthworks correspond with child records of this mine, including shaft MDV76216 and chimney MDV76214. 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.
The earthworks are not clearly visible on other available aerial imagery owing to thick tree cover.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV240774	Monograph: Booker, F.. 1967. Industrial Archaeology of the Tamar Valley. Industrial Archaeology of the Tamar Valley. A5 Hardback. 54-60, 67.
SDV241750	Report - Assessment: Buck, C.. 1998. Preliminary Assessment of Sites of Archaelogical Importance in the Tamar Valley. Cornwall Archaeological Unit Report. A4 Bound. 50.
SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336694	Monograph: Hamilton Jenkin, Dr. A. K.. 1974. Mines of Devon. Volume 1: The Southern Area. Mines of Devon. Volume 1: The Southern Area. One. Hardback Volume. 36-8.
SDV336795	Report - Assessment: Buck, C.. 1998. Preliminary Assessment of Industrial Sites of Archaeological Importance in the Tamar Valley. Cornwall Archaeological Unit Report. A4 Stapled + Digital. 55.
	Linked documents:1
SDV343017	Article in Serial: Mayer, P.. 1990. Calstock and Bere Alston Silver/Lead Mines in the 14th Century. Cornish Archaeology. 29. Paperback Volume. 79-95.
SDV344030	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2010. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital).
SDV344097	Monograph: Rippon, S. + Claughton, P. + Smart, C.. 2009. Mining in a Medieval Landscape: The Royal Silver Mines of the Tamar Valley. Mining in a Medieval Landscape: The Royal Silver Mines of the Tamar Valley. Paperback Volume. 80-82.
SDV346287	Interpretation: Cornwall Archaeological Unit. 2001-2002. Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Transcriptions and Database Records. National Mapping Programme. Map (Digital). CPE/UK/1890/2338 (RAF, 1946).
SDV359954	Cartographic: South West Heritage Trust. 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments. Tithe Map and Apportionment. Digital.
SDV363945	Interpretation: 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). Historic England Research Report. Digital.
SDV363954	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 2000-2019. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area. Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 19-APR-2019. [Mapped feature: #91131 ]
SDV90317	Report - non-specific: Cranstone, D.. 1991. The Lead Industry. English Heritage Monuments Protection Programme Step 3 Site Assessments. A4 Unbound.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6911 - Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme
• EDV8345 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M) (Ref: ACD2380)

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