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Summary

Post Medieval lode tinworks and pits situated on the southern slopes of Cramber Tor, forming part of the Upper Newleycombe Valley Streamworks. The southern of the two workings is a sinuous linear gully with a 'V'-shaped profile of up to 11m wide and approximately 5m deep. The main gully is oriented approximately northwest to southeast and is 460m long with further gullies branching off. The interior of the working is marked with a number of pitworks suggesting later exploitation of the lode. Water was supplied to the working by three small reservoirs of which the earthwork dams survive. All consist of crescentic banks of between 1.5 and 5m wide and up to 0.8m high. The largest of the reservoirs is 51m long. To the north of this openwork is an area of densely spaced pitworks. Some of the larger examples may be evidence of extraction but most were prospecting pits and measure between 1.5 and 3m diameter and up to 1.5m deep. The Cramber Pool working is oriented south-south-west to north-north-east and is a 390m long, linear openwork which gets progressively wider and deeper as it gains altitude. At the lower southern end it is 7m wide by less than 1m deep but at the top it is 18m wide by 4m deep. Beyond this the working opens out into a large pit of 53m by 28m which is currently filled with water to 2m below the top of the scarp. A faint slightly curving earthwork reservoir dam of 36m long is located 40m to the north of the pit in a boggy area. It has spread banks of up to 3m wide by up to 0.4m high.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Raddick Hill to Nun's Cross, including extensive tinning remains at Cramber Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SE206
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1446146
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/304

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• LEAT (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• PROSPECTING PIT (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• RESERVOIR (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• TIN WORKS (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Newman, P., 1987, The Moorland Meavy - a Tinner's Landscape, 225, 229, 235, fig 3 + 4. (Article in Serial). SDV231207.

SX 5920 7075 Openwork 7. Openwork supplied by reservoir SX57SE/315.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA199 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA199.

Newman, P., 2006, Cramber Tor Training Area Archaeological Field Investigation (Report - Survey). SDV233640.

(01/08/2006) Lode tinworks and pits on the southern slopes of Cramber Tor, including Cramber Pool which may be the documented site of 'Cramberwarke' dated to 1496. The southern of the two workings is a sinuous linear gully with V profile of up to 11m wide and approximately 5m deep. The main gully is oriented approximately NW to SE and is 460m long but has further gullies branching off it at SX 5923 7068 (266m to the south) and SX 5913 7079. The interior of the working is marked with a number of pitworks suggesting later exploitation of the lode. Water was supplied to the working by three small reservoirs of which the earthwork dams survive at SX 5910 7091; SX 5912 7094; 5925 7070. All consist of crescentic banks of between 1.5 and 5m wide and up to 0.8m high. The largest of the reservoirs is 51m long. To the north of this openwork is an area densely spaced pitworks. Some of the larger examples may be evidence of extraction but most were prospecting pits and measure between 1.5 and 3m diameter and between 0m (when silted) and 1.5m deep.
The Cramber Pool working is oriented SSW to NNE and is a 390m-long linear openwork which gets progressively wider and deeper as it gains altitude. At the lower southern end it is 7m wide by less than 1m deep but at the top it is 18m wide by 4m deep. Beyond this the working opens out into a large pit of 53m by 28m which is currently filled with water to 2m below the top of the scarp. A faint slightly curving earthwork reservoir dam of 36m long is located 40m to the NE of the pit in a boggy area. It has spread banks of up to 3m wide by up to 0.4m high.

Newman, P., 2021, Archaeological Sites within Cramber Tor Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation February 2021 (Report - Survey). SDV364449.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV8711 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area

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