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Summary

Square engine shaft with two or more storey building with semi-circular west wing; no roof remaining. Most of walls are intact although building is showing signs of crumbling. Shaft is surrounded by circular stone wall that was mostly still intact in 1995.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks, structures and below ground remains of the South Devon United Mines, a mid-19th century copper mining enterprise in Brook Wood, as well as part of the Wheal Emma Leat

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX76NW68
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1431381
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76NW/20/3

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENGINE HOUSE (Built, XIX - 1856 AD (Between) to 1877 AD (Between))
• MINE SHAFT (XIX - 1856 AD to 1877 AD)

Full description

1963, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV167214.

'engine shaft (disused)' indicated on os 6" (1906) but not on os 6" (1963) (os).

ADAS, Untitled Source (Report - Survey). SDV167215.

Vis=22/2/1995 (adas) engine shaft is square, possibly 2 or more storey building with semi-circular w wing. Roof has disappeared. Most of walls are intact although building is showing signs of crumbling. Arched e frontage + extension to connect with deep shaft to e side. Some timbers still visible. Shaft surrounded by circular stone wall mostly still intact.

ADAS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV167216.

Remains of buildings at ngr sx71746756, sx71776754, sx71796751, sx71766753, sx71736751 + possible shaft/quarry at ngr sx71696751 (adas).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV167219.

Des=adas record sheet/in smr.

Nance, R. D., 1996, Project Design for a Survey of Engine Houses on the Mines of South Devon, Sketch drawing and description. (Report - Assessment). SDV222663.

(August 1996) Remains of two east-facing engine houses. Best preserved is house of large pumping engine, the pump rod of which can still be seen in the shaft. The stack is set in the centre of the rear wall, like the crusher house at Frank Mills Mine (sx88sw/33) and Aller Mine (sx88sw/37). Ruinous house of a rotative engine with an attached stack stands nearby.

Various, 1996, The Archaeology of Mining and Metallurgy in South West-Britain, 109-122 (Article in Serial). SDV359197.

Newman, P., 2005, Brookwood and Wheal Emma Copper Mines, Buckfastleigh, Devon: An Archaeological Survey (Report - Survey). SDV359199.

(30/04/2005) Engine house at Brookwood Mine (SX 76 NW 51), a copper mine which operated between 1845 -1885, latterly under the name of South Devon United mines (1878-1885). The ruined engine house contained a 50-inch beam engine to power pumps in the adjacent Engine Shaft at Brookwood Mine. Although the upper section of the building and much of the attached stack have collapsed, enough remains to interpret the layout. The exterior footprint of the engine house measures 8.8m by 6.6m. The stack is semi-circular in plan and attached to the centre of south-west back wall, protruding 2.5m. This has left no space for a cylinder opening but this problem has been overcome by enlarging the plug doorway in the bob wall. In doing this the builders ran the risk of compromising the strength of the bob wall. The side walls of the hotwell survive in place attached to the exterior of the bob wall and adjacent to the open shaft. There were entrances into the first floor of the building on the south and north walls in opposing corners, each would have been accessible by a wooden staircase on the exterior. That on the north side led into one of two boiler houses set on the north side of the building. Only the eastern walls of the boiler houses survives with any substance, though foundation-level remains of the others may be seen in part. The structures lie side by side and are both 14m long by approximately 2.5 - 3m wide. The northern outer structure was certainly added later as a change in masonry type and building style are visible on the exterior of the surviving wall. Window openings are visible on the first and second floors of the engine house. The window and door openings had brick reveals and timber lintels which have mostly rotted causing serious collapse to the structure above. The stack and the north wall have suffered the most collapse, though other walls will soon follow. There is a small roughly-built structure with low walls apparently attached to the stack on the south of the building; this is probably a later addition. The engine house is partially covered by ivy. A low collar wall attached to the north-east side of the engine house contains the still open Engine Shaft. Horizontal timbers associated with hoisting equipment survive in place around the lip of the shaft and the timber pump rod is still in place. The bob pit, which contained the counterweight for the pumps is located adjacent to the north side of the shaft with parts of its masonry lining still visible.
Mine surveyed at 1:1000 and described in detail.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 28/03/2022 (Website). SDV364039.

Very ruinius and overgrown 'I doubt its out of the ordinary' (citing Bick D 1992 The Beam Engine Houses at Mines in England (excluding Cornwall) Unpub. typescript for Cranston Consultancy).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6840 - Survey of Brookwood and Wheal Emma Copper Mines (Ref: AI/01/2005)

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