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Summary

Remains of an early 20th century engine house and dressing floor situated on the east side of the Redwater Valley beside the Challacombe track and within Soussons Plantation at Golden Dagger Tin Mine. The site represents the 1920s activity at the tin mine under the ownership of the Torr Trust Company Limited. An archaeological field survey in 2002 recorded a narrow concrete foundation which supported a galvanised shed bolted to the concrete. The overall dimensions of the base are approximately 27 metres by 6 metres. The concrete bases of several pieces of plant survives within the floor, complete with rusting threaded studs, including plinths for the Petter engine and the magnetic separator. At the south end of the terrace are two earthwork hollows, one of which is likely to be the rectangular buddle shown in a photograph of 1927. Two well-preserved circular buddles complete with concrete central cones survive on the exterior of the building, one just to the west of the track. They have diameters of 3.8 metres and 5.4 metres. The latter has intact masonry lining around the diameter and a concrete floor.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021340: Tinworks, field systems, settlements, warren, cairns and a stone alignment at Headland Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE400
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1362170
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/304

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BUDDLE (Constructed, Early 20th Century - 1920 AD (Between) to 1929 AD (Between))
• DRESSING FLOOR (Constructed, Early 20th Century - 1920 AD (Between) to 1929 AD (Between))
• ENGINE HOUSE (Constructed, Early 20th Century - 1920 AD (Between) to 1929 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV293210.

Des=das/manuscript list of soussons archaeological sites/in pf. Dressing floor recorded by das (das).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV293212.

Des=passmore, a. /dtrg newsletter/19(july 2000)7/golden dagger tin mine. Recent forestry felling on the e bank of the redwater stream exposed tin working features for the first time since the 1940s. At the 1920s engine house at golden dagger tin mine a further length of the 15" iron water supply pipe to the turbine was visible + disturbance to the trace to 'dinah's house' revealed patches of blue tin slime (passmore).

Greeves, T. A. P., 1986, Tin Mines and Miners of Dartmoor, A photographic record (Monograph). SDV351363.

Photographs showing this site when still in use in the 1930s have been published by Greeves.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 36 (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

Part of engine house complex at golden dagger mine (greeves).

Richardson, P. H. G., 1992, The Mines of Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley after 1913, 18-26 (Article in Serial). SDV323598.

All internal features of the engine house have been described in detail by Richardson 1994.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 56c (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

The engine house contains the machine beds for turbine, gas and diesel engines.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 10, 87 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Water powered mill site at Golden Dagger Mine.

Newman, P., 2002, Headland Warren and the Birch Tor and Vitifer Mines (Report - Survey). SDV363213.

(25/07/2002) Foundations of a ruined building known as the Engine House at Golden Dagger Mine, sited on the east side of the Redwater valley floor beside the Challacombe track and within Soussons Plantation. This evidence represents the main survival of the 1920s activity at Golden Dagger tin mine under the Torr Trust Co. Ltd. The remains consist of a narrow concrete foundation outline which supported a galvanised shed bolted to the concrete. The overall dimensions of the base are approximately 27m by 6m. The concrete bases of several pieces of plant survives within the floor, complete with rusting threaded studs, including plinths for the Petter engine and the magnetic separator. At the south end of the terrace are two earthwork hollows, one of which is likely to be the rectangular buddle shown in a photograph of 1927. Two well-preserved circular buddles complete with concrete central cones survive on the exterior of the building, one just to the west of the track. They have diameters of 3.8m and 5.4m. The latter has intact masonry lining around the diameter and a concrete floor.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7390 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7402 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7431 - Woodland Survey (1989-90) at Bellever, Soussons and other woodland parcels
• EDV7139 - Headland Warren and the Birch Tor and Vitifer Mines Survey (Ref: A1/20/2001, A1/34/2002)

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