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Summary

Less well preserved than that to the south-east, this mill survives as a 7m by 3.8m area defined on three sides by drystone walls up to 1.04m high. The fourth side is denoted by a steep slope and it is likely that the original walling survives below ground. A 1.2m wide, 1.2m deep recess in western end of the northern wall is probably a fireplace which, with its chimney, survived until the early 20th century.

Summary from record MDV57352:
Vis=-/10/1996 (gerrard) several mortarstones in the vicinity of the right bank mill. One was reused as an axle bearing stone after it was discarded.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020129: Tinworks and other archaeological remains in the Meavy valley at Stanlake, Black Tor, Hart Tor and Cramber Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Buildings Record: 110825
• National Buildings Record: NRI01
• National Monuments Record: SX57SE33
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440121
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/125/1
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SE/125/3
• Old SAM County Ref: 1003
• Old SAM Ref: 24106
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX57SE33

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FINDSPOT (Unknown date)
• BLOWING HOUSE (First mentioned, XVII to XVIII - 1654 AD (Pre) to 1750 AD (Pre))
• STAMPING MILL (First mentioned, XVII to XVIII - 1654 AD (Pre) to 1750 AD (Pre))
• TIN MILL (First mentioned, XVII to XVIII - 1654 AD (Pre) to 1750 AD (Pre))
• WATERMILL (First mentioned, XVII - 1654 AD (Pre) to 1654 AD (Pre))

Full description

Burnard, R., 1887-1888, Unknown (Article in Serial). SDV263134.

Volume 9 (18871888), page 401. Also Volume 10 (1888-1889), page 106.

Crossing, W., 1890 - 1891, Western Antiquary, 179 (Monograph). SDV154702.

Baring Gould, S., 1900, A Book of Dartmoor, 111 (Monograph). SDV277387.

Brooking-Rowe, J., 1901, 22nd Report of the Scientific Memoranda Committee, 115-116 (Article in Serial). SDV249947.

(citing Woodhouse, H. B. S.)

Falcon, T. A., 1902-1903, Dartmoor Mining, 226 (Article in Serial). SDV154698.

Stamping mill at Black Tor Falls, right bank. At Meavy, under Black Tor, Princetown, are the ruins of a building, with the southern wall still standing and the fireplace in the north-west corner fairly perfect. This contains two mortar stones in the south-east corner.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 101 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Worth, R. H., 1933, Blowing Houses in the Valleys of the Sheepstor Brook, the Meavy, the Erme and the Avon, 314-16 pl.31-32 fig.20 (Article in Serial). SDV235818.

Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Blowing House, 225 (Article in Serial). SDV154693.

Black Tor Falls, right bank. The clavel or lintel over the furnace mouth still remains, and in 1893 there remained nearly 914mm in height of the chimney above the clavel, later stonework taken down to release a colt which had fallen into the chimney. Leat still traceable, probable site of the wheel-pit identified. No mould stone has been found. There are three mortar stones, each with mortars back-to-back on opposite faces. One of these stones has been used as a bearing for a small iron-axle. In 1933 Mr T. Davey found, close to the house, a granite ball, least diameter 95mm, greatest 115mm. Artificially formed and may have been used as a pounder or pestle in conjunction with the mortars. Nothing similar has been found elsewhere.

Worth, R. H., 1946, Dartmoor Blowing Houses, a supplement, 281-4, pl. 30, figs 1-2 (Article in Serial). SDV249939.

On the right bank of the Meavy the furnace and clavel or lintel disappeared in 1940.
Two further mortar stones were found in 1941.

Ordnance Survey, 1963-1996, 1963-1996 National Grid OS Metric, (1963) (Cartographic). SDV350058.

(SX 57487163) Blowing Houses (NR) (remains of) (NAT).

Anon, 1965, Dartmoor Damage, 6 (Article in Serial). SDV249948.

Blowing house on right bank of the River Meavy. Walls overthrown and inside turned upside down in 1965.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX57SE33 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV249940.

(20/06/1977) Of the blowing house on the right south bank of the river Meavy, only the south east wall is now standing (the north west wall was built into the natural hillside or river bank). All the rest is ruinous, though the sites of the furnace and wheel pit can be determined and the course of the leat can be traced for some 30.0m. Two mortar stones, one inside and one outside the building, are visible. The internal dimensions, as far as can be ascertained, are 5.2m x 3.3m.
The remains of the blowing house on the north (left) bank and more substantial; the doorway, complete with door jambs and lintel, remains intact in the south wall.
The sites of the furnace and wheel pit are visible, and part of the course of the leat can be traced. One mortar stone is visible. The internal dimensions are 5.1m by 4.5m, and the height of the walls from 1.3m to 2.0m. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Worth, R. H., 1981, Dartmoor, plate 65a (Monograph). SDV231173.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, no.9 (in SMR) (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

(January 1977) Probably 17th century. Stamping mill (undocumented). Field evidence.

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

Not visible on 1946 aerial photographs.

Newman, P., 1987, The Moorland Meavy - a Tinner's Landscape, 228, fig 2. (Article in Serial). SDV231207.

Austin, D. + Gerrard, G. A. M. + Greeves, T. A. P., 1989, Tin and Agriculture in the Middle Ages and beyond: Landscape Archaeology in St. Neot Parish, Cornwall, 6-251 (Article in Serial). SDV249953.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 41/in SMR (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 152465 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(01/10/1996) SX 57487164. Northern stamping mill at Black Tor Falls.

Gerrard, S. + Greeves, T. A. P., 1992, Excavation of Upper Merrivale Tin Blowing and Stamping Mill, Peter Tavy, Dartmoor, Devon (Interim Report no.2), 5 (Report - Interim). SDV249952.

Gerrard, S., 1994, The Dartmoor Tin Industry: An Archaeological Perspective, 173-198 (Article in Serial). SDV167112.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 15 (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

While both structures contain features which may be interpreted as 'furnace-like', there is no evidence of any smelting activity, other than crushing and stamping. However, as examples of stamping mills they have exceptional archaeological potential.

Gerrard, S., 1997, Black Tor Falls Tin Mills, 7, 14; fig 2 (Article in Serial). SDV360976.

(October 1996) Black Tor Falls medieval tin mills were originially built to house the tin crushing machinery. Several mortar stones survive as do a number of specially prepared stones on which the water wheel axle rotated. There are two separate crushing mills one on each side of the River Meavy, a dressing floor to the south-west and a raised platform to the east. Gerrard's 1997 report comprises a full site account and a large-scale survey of each feature:
Detailed plane-table survey of the two tin mills and adjacent streamwork earthworks.
Probably survives less well than that on left bank because of its exposed position rather than any obvious dating or functional difference. Both mills have recesses built into one of the corners both of which are situated as far as possible from the wheelpit. These probably represent fireplaces rather than furnaces. No surface indications of wheelpit survive although a slight hollow leading towards the river from the north-east corner of the building may be a tailrace. Mortarstones within and around right bank mill are all in secondary positions and therefore do not necessarily relate directly to the surviving building. They must have been produced by machinery in a building which was superseded by the present one.
This mill survives as a 7m by 3.8m area defined on 3 sides by drystone walls up to 1.04m high. The fourth side is denoted by a steep slope and it is likely that the original walling survives below ground. A 1.2m wide, 1.2m deep recess in western end of the northern wall is probably a fireplace which, with its chimney, survived until the early 20th century when Crossing describes it being partly dismantled to free a trapped colt. A photo by Worth shows the lintel still in-situ, with five or six courses of masonry forming the lower part of the chimney. Entrance to mill is at south end of western wall. The door jambs shown on Worth's plan have been removed or buried. Outside the entrance a revetment clearly denotes the original walkway leading to the building. The interior is filled with rubble, including Two mortar stones. Two further stones lie outside the building though a third described by Newman could not be found. The surviving stones suggest that
(1) the stamping machinery appears to have consisted of two iron shod stamps;
(2) the dressing floor revetment was added after stamping had commenced and at least mortar stones had been discarded;
(3) the visible building was built partly from discarded mortar stones. This indicates that the existing mill replaced an earlier one from which stones were taken.
Several mortarstones in the vicinity of the right bank mill. One was reused as an axle bearing stone after it was discarded.
At least two other axle bearing stones survive in the vicinity. The largest lies on the steep slope immediately next to the waterfall, and the other abuts the outer face of the southern wall. The first is at least 1m long by 0.6m wide and 0.3m thick and the axle bearing groove is cut into the western edge. The groove measures 0.05m long, 0.07m wide and 0.08m deep and the polished area which denotes the point on which the axle rotated measures 0.02m wide. The second axle stone is 0.4m long by 0.35m and the axle bearing groove is 0.05m long, 0.05m wide and 0.04m deep. The polished part of the groove is stained with rust and measures 0.02m wideanother worked stone now lies close to the mill in the river. This is a large slab of granite, 0.92m long, 0.54m wide, 0.33m thick. On the upper face are two rectangular holes formed during an attempt to split the rock using wedge and groove technique (i.e. pre-1800 date).

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 23, 39/in SMR (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Fletcher, M. J., 2007-2008, Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV359195.

(16/10/2007) The two roofless thick-walled buildings lie within the streamworks; various mortar stones are visible around the structures Neither building is overgrown with vegetation. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Remains of one wall clearly visible on the aerial but the remainder of the building appears far less clear.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, WLK-95 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

Visited 01/12/2019. Overall condition good. Photo taken.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, WLK-95 (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photo looking 250° showing grass/moss and reeds with gorse encroaching on N and W walls.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 23/06/2022 (Website). SDV364039.

SX 57487162, Black Tor Falls right bank and SX 57497161, Black Tor Falls left bank listed as "definite tin mills with visible structures which date to before 1700..." (CBA research Report, Council for British Archaeology, Vol 40, 1981, pg. 94).
A comprehensive account and survey of these two tin mills is provided by Newman (Dartmoor Magazine 1990 and 1991 On hundred years at Black Tor Falls 21 12 - 13 and 22 22-23. P Newman).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV2773 - MORTAR STONE (Unknown date)

Associated Events

• EDV7517 - Survey of Hart Tor tin works
• EDV7520 - Survey of Black Tor Falls Tin Mills
• EDV7522 - Survey of Black Tor
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project

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