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Summary

Middle Merrivale blowing mill is located on the left bank and has well-preserved though tumbled walls and a clearly defined wheelpit. Probable trackway visible to south and leat channel to north. Mould stone recorded near door and sample mould in building.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016148: A prehistoric and historic archaeological landscape within Merrivale Newtake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NE21
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439632
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/7
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/7/1
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/7/2
• Old SAM County Ref: 790
• Old SAM Ref: 28788(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ADIT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• TIN MINE (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• TINNERS CACHE (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• TINNERS HUT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• BLOWING HOUSE (XVII to XVIII - 1690 AD (Between) to 1710 AD (Between))

Full description

Kelly, T., 1866, Celtic remains on Dartmoor, 4646 (Article in Serial). SDV154696.

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

Site of a small rectangular building shown on 19th century map. Site labelled 'Hut Enclosures'.

Burnard, R., 1888 - 1889, On the Track of the 'Old Men', Dartmoor, 236 (Article in Serial). SDV154694.

Burnard, R., 1890, The Antiquity of Mining on Dartmoor, 103-4 (Article in Serial). SDV152712.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 93-94 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Worth, R. H., 1931, Blowing Houses in the Valley of the Walkham, 364-5 fig.5 pl. Xxii, fig.7 (Article in Serial). SDV255152.

The "middle" blowing house lies on the east bank of the Walkham, 987 yards north of the "lower" house (SX 57 NE 25) and about 60 yards from the river. The building is regular in plan and measures 32 feet 6 inches by 15 feet. Immediately within the door is a mould stone the position of which corresponds exactly with that of the mould in the lower building.

Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Blowing House, 228 (Article in Serial). SDV154693.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 3175 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Ancient Monuments, 1970, Information on scheduled blowing house (Schedule Document). SDV255220.

(14/04/1970) Blowing mill north-east of Shillapark. Merrivale left bank, upper. Drystone structure. Entrance on south side, one jamb still standing. Rectangular mould just inside entrance. Leat ran along north side of the wall and the wheel pit is well defined to the north-west corner of the structure. No mortarstones found.
Sample mould, would hold 2.04 kilograms of tin. Measurements given.
Mould stone near door would hold 83 kilograms of tin. Measurements given.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SX57NE21, plan, photos. (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV255358.

'Blowing house (remains of)' marked on (1906) historic map.
(14/09/1978) A blowing house, 9.4m by 5.0m internally, with walling 1.2m thick and 1.0m high. The entrance on its southern side is clearly marked by granite jambs; just inside is a granite mould stone 0.85m by 0.75m and 0.3m thick. The mould is 0.25m by 0.4m and 0.15m deep with a sample mould. The wheel pit and tailrace are well-defined on the northern side with the short leat being visible to the north east. The overall condition of the house is very good. Mould stone near door in blowing house north-east of Shillapark. Sample mould in blowing house.
Revised at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, No.56 (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

Listed as a pre-1700 tin mill.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 1043 (Monograph). SDV249702.

Wheelpit held a wheel 10 feet in diameter, 1 foot 2 inches abreast.

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

Recorded.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 38 (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

Blowing mill (undocumented). Field evidence.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 143933 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(16/11/1994) Blowing mill situated on a west facing slope of Little Mis Tor. Terraced into the hillside is composed of drystone coursed walling standing up to four courses and 1m high. The interior of the mill building measures 8.8m by 4.8m and is filled with loose rubble. The doorway faces south and adjacent to it on the west side is a mouldstone. A well preserved and now waterlogged wheelpit lies along the north wall of the building.
Though no dressing floors are visible, it is very likely that these survive as buried features on the flat ground west of the mill and adjacent to the river. This blowing mill is one of three above Merrivale Bridge, all of which have a mouldstone adjacent to their doorway. It has been suggested that they may date to around 1700.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 78-80, Map 30, Site 20, Figure 30.9.2 (Monograph). SDV219155.

The middle blowing house on the Upper Walkham has one jamb still standing at the entrance, the other with the lintel resting on the edge of a mould stone with a sample mould. The wheel pit on the opposite side of the house is well defined and could accommodate a small wheel with a diameter of 3.5 metres.

Newman, P., 1995, Field Survey in the Walkham Valley, 4-5 (Article in Serial). SDV275799.

Middle Merrivale blowing mill has well-preserved though tumbled walls and a clearly defined wheelpit. Probable trackway visible to south and leat channel to north. Mouldstone probably in situ.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 20 (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

Documented.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV3167 - MOULDSTONE (XIV to XVII - 1400 AD to 1699 AD)
• FDV3168 - MOULDSTONE (XIV to XVII - 1400 AD to 1699 AD)

Associated Events: none recorded

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