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Summary

Clay workings at Left Lake took place between 1850-1858 and 1922-1932. Remains of ruined buildings, pools and tips can be seen.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of the early 20th century China Clay works at Redlake Mine and the associated railway, as well as prehistoric remains on Ugborough Moor

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/5
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CLAY WORKINGS (Constructed, XIX to Early 20th Century - 1850 AD to 1932 AD (Between))

Full description

Unknown, Unknown source (Unattributed Sites and Monuments Register Entry). SDV164882.

Left Lake, china clay workings. A large pit, now water-filled, several smaller pits and cuttings, and the brick bridge carrying the Redlake China Clay Railway. The clay 'beds' nearby are in Harford parish. The Harford parish boundary crosses the spoil heap on the west side of the rail track. The clay workings are of two periods: 1850-1858 and 1922-1932, but it is not clear which pits can be ascribed to each period, or whether the later workings went over the same ground as the earlier ones. The Blackwood Path passes through the workings, and it is possible that the horse-drawn wagons of the 1850's used this track to Wrangaton.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 396 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Harris, H., 1968, Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor, 95-97 (Monograph). SDV149229.

Clay-works at Leftlake. Remains consist of a few ruins, pools and tips can still be seen. In 1922, an earlier china-clay works at Leftlake was reopened, necessitating a doubling of the capacity of the Cantrell works and the extension of the buildings there. Working at Leftlake suffered from the disadvantage found at Brent Moor, that of the felspar being incompletely decomposed; after a few years the clay was worked out and in 1932 the whole enterprise came to an end.

Ivybridge Amenity Society, 1974, A short History (Pamphlet). SDV164878.

National Monuments Record, 1976, NMR SX6460, 2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV157244.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Hankin, C. F., 1977-1979, Harford Parish Checklist (Worksheet). SDV149931.

(Visited in July 1976) Waste heaps scattered along the banks of the stream at Leftlake (SX64556350) now partly covered with grass, are probably from the 1850-1858 works. A large white waste heap on the parish boundary (SX64636350) is no doubt from the 1920's. The footings of a long rectangular building approximately 45 metres long and 10 metres wide with parallel stone 'curbs' running lengthwise, and a ruined stone and concrete building are from the later period (SX64626331).

Hankin, C. F., 1980, An Archaeological Check-List for Harford (Un-published). SDV361875.

(Visited in July 1976) Waste heaps scattered along the banks of the stream at Leftlake (SX64556350) now partly covered with grass, are probably from the 1850-1858 works. A large white waste heap on the parish boundary (SX64636350) is no doubt from the 1920's. The footings of a long rectangular building approximately 45 metres long and 10 metres wide with parallel stone 'curbs' running lengthwise, and a ruined stone and concrete building are from the later period (SX64626331).

Griffith, F., 1988, Devon's Past. An Aerial View, 112 (Monograph). SDV64198.

Leftlake and Redlake clay workings visible in aerial shots (1987/8 date).

Newman, P., 2018, Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV361913.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

Left Lake disused china clay works on Ugborough and Harford Moors, which was worked unsuccessfully for a short while in the 1850s, and later reopened between 1911 and 1932 by the China Clay Corporation. The works, which exploited the site of a former tin streamworks, comprises a 0.5 hectare clay pit, now water filled, a large area of substantial spoil heaps to the west of the pit (MDV28106), including a sky tip, ancillary buildings (MDV28104) and a processing works (MDV27892), all now ruined. An adit with a 30 metres-long finger dump is located 360 metres west of the pit beside Left Lake stream (MDV122904). The Redlake Railway (MDV3138), constructed in 1912, transects the site via a substantial embankment which has a stone underpass bridge to allow access from the pit. The double ceramic pipe (MDV5167) from Redlake, used to transport clay slurry to the drying floors at Cantrell, also runs through the site and clay from Left Lake was piped into it from the settling tanks, via an additional feeder pipe.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley

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