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Summary

A post-medieval blowing house situated within an area of streamworks close to the River Plym. An archaeological field survey in 2002 found the building to be in a very ruinous state. Its internal measurements were about 6 metres by 3 metres, the walls surviving to a maximum height of 1.5m high. The southern end had been built into or against the bluff which has resulted from streaming. A mortar stone was situated against the outer face of the western wall. A series of linear earthworks immediately south of the mill may represent the dressing floor.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016145: A prehistoric settlement with cairns and a historic tin mill, streamwork and buildings lying adjacent to the Langcombe Brook
• Scheduled Monument 1016145: A prehistoric settlement with cairns and a historic tin mill, streamwork and buildings lying adjacent to the Langcombe Brook

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66NW16
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441611
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/214/1
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/23
• Old SAM Ref: 28787

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BUDDLE (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• DRESSING FLOOR (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• TIN MILL (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• WHEEL PIT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

31/8/1983, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV164767.

Des=plan (1:100)in parish file. Site surveyed at 1:100 by T. Greeves + R. Robinson (31/8/1983). Plans in possession of t. Greeves.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 433 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Worth, R. H., 1914, Stray notes on Dartmoor tin-working. Part 1, 286 (Article in Serial). SDV243139.

Worth, R. H., 1929, Stray Notes on Dartmoor Tin-Working. Part 2, 402 (Article in Serial). SDV357076.

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

A blowing house on the left bank of the Plym, above Langcombe is in ruinous condition but its internal dimensions can be ascertained to have been 20 feet by 9 feet 6inches. There is a mortar-stone, with two large mortars, one oval.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1978, SX66NW16 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV164771.

(07/06/1950) The building is much ruined but its internal dimensions can be ascertained to have been 6.10 metres by 2.90 metres. The mortar stone referred to is situated outside the blowing house and lays against the wall nearest the River Plym.
(10/09/1978) This blowing house is in a very ruinous state, virtually a heap of stones enclosed by walling from 0.7m. to 1.5m high and perhaps 0.8m. thick. The internal measurements are about 6.0m. by 3.0m., the south end being built into or against the bluff which has resulted from streaming.
The mortar stone is outside the structure by the north west corner.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, No 45 (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

Listed as a pre-1700 tin-mill.

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

Not visible on aerial photograph.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1987, List of donations to the Plymouth Museum (Un-published). SDV243606.

Site visited on 31st August 1983. 'Mortar' from disturbed walls of tin mill above Langcombe recovered.

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

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140551 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(09/05/1996) At SX60346722 a stamping mill 160 metres east of the confluence of the River Plym and Langcombe Brook. Stamping mill measures 6.1m by 2.9m. A series of elongated hollows immediately s of the building may represent buddles. The building is later than the alluvial streamworks into which it is cut. One mortar stone.

Robertson, J. G., 1991, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV166324.

epicted and described by Robertson.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West (Monograph). SDV137656.

Depicted by Butler.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 297/102.1084 (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Thackray, c. /the upper plym valley:the management of an historic landscape/(1994)297/102.1084.

Gerrard, S., 1996, The Early South-Western Tin Industry: An Archaeological View, 67-83 (Article in Serial). SDV337901.

SX 603 672 After crushing, the tin, from the ore of alluvial + eluvial deposits, was separated using flowing water in a sloping box called a buddle. Evidence of a clearly defined hollow survives at the tin mill site at Langcombe.

Gerrard, S., 1996, The Early South-Western Tin Industry: An Archaeological View, SG 038 (Article in Serial). SDV337901.

Whitbourn, A., 2001, An Archaeological Investigation into features comprising, and associated with, Ditsworthy Warren, 82, Appendix 4 (Report - Assessment). SDV360381.

Plym Steps Blowing House.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

(23/04/2002) SX 60356723. This feature is as described by the Ordnance Survey (1978). In its current state it is impossible to distinguish the locations of the wheelpit or dressing floor or even the former presence of a leat. The only clue as to the function of this structure is the mortar stone near the NW corner.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

'Blowing house (remains of)' shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)

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