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Summary

A Medieval or later tinner's hut built against the river cliff on the west bank of Blacklane Brook. An archaeological survey in 1994 recorded the building as rectangular on plan measuring 5.4 metres by 2.4 metres, with walls surviving to a maximum height of one metre. The structure was in a very poor condition and the northeast end appeared to have recently been rebuilt. There were no identifiable internal features.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Structural and earthwork remains of Medieval or later tin streamworks on the River Erme and its tributaries, Blacklane Brook, Dry Lake and Red Lake, as well as blowing houses and tinners buildings and possible prehistoric enclosures at Wollake

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record (Yes): sx66nw28
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441638
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/33

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TINNERS HUT (Constructed, XVI to XVII - 1530 AD (Between) to 1699 AD (Between))

Full description

Moore, S. A. + Birkett, P., 1890, A Short History of the Rights of Common upon the Forest of Dartmoor and the Commons of Devon, 44-5 (Article in Serial). SDV235822.

Crossing, W., 1890 - 1891, Western Antiquary, 175-6175-6 (Monograph). SDV154702.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 374-5 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Worth, R. H., 1933, Blowing Houses in the Valleys of the Sheepstor Brook, the Meavy, the Erme and the Avon, 316 (Article in Serial). SDV235818.

Blacklane Brook. Blowing house. Remains of a water course leading to it and may be identified with the Wallack Mill mentioned in 1538 as being let to Richard Coole and Thomas Hele (citing Crossing). No trace of a leat to the building, and its dimensions 5.18 metres by 2.4 metres appear small for a blowing house. It stands on the right bank of Black Lane Brook.

Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Blowing House, 219 (Article in Serial). SDV154693.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX66NW28 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV235819.

(08/05/1950) This building must be considered a doubtful blowing house. It lacks the first essentials of a blowing house i.e.: a leat and wheel pit and no mortar or mould stones were found within the area. Name may be confused with SX66NW/14.
(11/05/1977) SX 6291 6692. This rectangular building, 5.4 metres by 2.4 metres is built against the river cliff on the west bank of Blacklane Brook at 410 metres above OD. The walling, 0.9 metres wide, is built of coursed small boulders and stands, in poor condition, up to 1.0 metre high. The east wall is staggered about an entrance 1.1 metres wide. There is no evidence of a leat, wheel pit, mould or mortar stones to confirm the building's use as a blowing house and it is probably a tinner's hut. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Doubtful Devon Tin Mills c1450-c1750, No.6 (Un-published). SDV336693.

Unverified site. There is no proof that this was a mill but it is a likely candidate.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, No.24 (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

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

Not visible on the aerial photographs referred to in the project.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(10/11/1994) SX 62917 66924. A tinners hut cut into the steep east facing slope above the right bank of Wollake some 220m north-north-east of Blacklane Brook Ford. The building is as described by the Ordnance Survey in 1977. It is in a very poor condition and the north-east end appears to have recently been rebuilt. There are no identifiable internal features.

Greeves, T. A. P., 2017, Lodges and Mills: The Field Archaeology of Tin Accommodation, Stamping and Smelting on Dartmoor, 66, table 1, No 14 (Article in Serial). SDV363284.

Blacklane Brook/Wollake (1532, 1538-9) SX 6269 6690.

Newman, P., 2018, Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV361913.

Building shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

A ruined rectangular building located within the tin streamworks on the west bank of Blacklane Brook, is a possible tinners' building or lodge, for which a post-medieval date may be assumed, though it could be earlier. The buidling has previously been described as a tin mill or 'blowing house', though diagnostic evidence is lacking. The structure is built against the foot of the steep, scarped edge of the valley streamworks, where the rear wall forms a revetment. The three upstanding walls are constructed from random granite boulders, standing to a maximum height of 1 metre. The internal dimensios are approximately 5.1 metres by 1.6 metres. The position of the entrance may have been on the north-east end of the building.

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

(03/07/2020) Agreed that this structure was probably a Tinners Hut rather than a mill. There appear to be no factors impacting on its stability. Condition good.

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

Photographed 03/07/2020.

Greeves, T. A. P., 2019, Supplementary information on the Upper Erme Valley 2018 survey (Un-published). SDV363283.

Blacklane Brook/Wollake tin mill. Although Newman's 2018 survey report suggests some doubt over the identification of this as a mill, Greeves offers the following in support of the identification:
Site visited 7.8.1970, 25.9.1975, 2.6.1976 and 31.8.1984. On the latter visit Greeves confirmed that there was a leat leading to the site, and that in places it was quite distinct especially where stones forming its outside edge are still in situ. ‘The building is considerably more substantial than is indicated by a superficial glance’. It is probably the best candidate for ‘Well Lake Mill’ of 1532 and ‘Wallack Mill’ of 1538-9 as the Blacklane Brook is known as the ‘Wollake’ in this lower section.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

Rectangular building shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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