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Summary

A blowing house in remarkably good condition, measuring 11.5 metres by 5.3 metres internally. Large blocks are used for the drystone walls which are 1.0 metres thick and generally 1.0 metres high though on the east side, where the building is cut back into the hillside, it is 2.3 metres high. The wheelpit is not now visible but the remains of the furnace, the mould stone and the float are as depicted on Worth's plan. The leat, from the north is not very distinct. There is considerable evidence of tin streaming along the water courses which empty into the Walkham River from the east particularly and the blowing house is probably associated with these workings.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019567: Blowing mill and vermin trap 350m north east of Merrivale Bridge

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NE25
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439644
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/8
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/8/1
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/8/2
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/8/3
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/8/4
• Old SAM County Ref: 788
• Old SAM Ref: 22379

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FURNACE (Constructed, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD? (Between))
• SMELTERY (Constructed, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD? (Between))
• TIN MILL (Built, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))
• WHEEL PIT (Constructed, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD? (Between))

Full description

Kelly, T., 1866, Celtic remains on Dartmoor, 46 (Article in Serial). SDV154696.

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, 102-3 (Article in Serial). SDV152712.

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

Worth, R. H., 1931, Blowing Houses in the Valley of the Walkham, 361-4, fig.1-2, pl.20-21, fig.3-4a (Article in Serial). SDV255152.

Worth, R. H., 1931, Blowing Houses in the Valley of the Walkham, 361-4, fig.1-2, pl.20-21,fig.3-4a (Article in Serial). SDV255152.

Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Blowing House, 235, 277-8 (Article in Serial). SDV154693.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57NE25 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV255233.

Blowing house (remains of)' marked on Ordnance Survey 6 inch (1906) map.
(21/08/1950) East side of the house built into hillside. No obvious trace of wheel pit and no mortar stones found. In western interior are two mould stones, one of which is partly buried and it is impossible to be certain of the length of the mould. Remains of internal walling in north-west corner of building, but this may be later and not contemporary with the rest of the structure. Measures 5.5m x 11.5m, width of walls 1.0m.

Ancient Monuments, 1970, Details of Scheduled site (Schedule Document). SDV255206.

(14/04/1970) Blowing house. Drystone wall structure walls well preserved to a maximum height of five courses. Entrance on west side. Rectangular mould just inside entrance. Rectangular drystone structure (hearth?) to north of entrance. Wheel pit probably within house at one end. Leat traceable (plan referred to). A mould stone lies close to the furnace and hard by the door. There is a notch in the upper marin at one end, but not centrally placed, would hold 115 kilograms of tin. Measurements given.
Furnace is still preserved, sides still standing to height of 1.37m. The worked float still forms the bottom of the furnace but slightly displaced as to the level. No mortar stones found. Length 0.6m, width 0.4m.
A sample mould also noted, would hold about 1.02 kilograms of tin.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX57NE25, plan/photo. (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV255234.

(13/11/1979) A blowing house in remarkably good condition, measuring 11.5m by 5.3m internally. Large blocks are used for the drystone walls which are 1.0m thick and generally 1.0m high though on the east side, where the building is cut back into the hillside, it is 2.3m high. The wheelpit is not now visible but the remains of the furnace, the mould stone and the float are as depicted on Worth's plan. The leat, from the north is not very distinct.
There is considerable evidence of tin streaming along the water courses which empty into the Walkham River from the east particularly at SX 554759 and SX 560755 and the blowing house is probably associated with these workings. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, No.55 (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

Blowing mill (undocumented) field evidence.

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

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

Not visible on 1940s vertical aerial photographs.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1987, List of donations to the Plymouth Museum (Un-published). SDV243606.

(22/07/1975) Stone, possibly slagged, from lower blowing mill, left bank, above Merrivale Bridge. Of killas, found in interior of structure.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152430 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(1999) Blowing mill 390m north-east of Merrivale Bridge.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 78-80, Map 30, Site 21, Figure 30.9.1 (Monograph). SDV219155.

The lower blowing house 300 metres above Merrivale Bridge on the Upper Walkham preserves more interesting features than most but curiously no definite signs of a wheel pit or leat which would have had an ample supply from the river. A huge granite doorpost of the blowing house remains standing at the entrance but the other has toppled over taking the lintel with it. Near the centre of the room the sides of the furnace are still in place with room for the bellows behind. The float for receiving the molten metal, originally horizontal, is upended in front of the furnace. A mould stone is lying close to the door.

Greeves, T. A. P. + Newman, P., 1994, Tin working and land-use in the Walkham Valley: a preliminary analysis, 211 (Article in Serial). SDV255251.

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

Lower Merrivale tin mill was surveyed at 1:100 by Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group members in 1995.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 21 (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

Documented.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV3169 - MOULDSTONE (XIV to XVII - 1400 AD to 1699 AD?)

Associated Events: none recorded

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