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Summary

The remains of a rectangular stone building standing in an isolated position to the south west of Powder Mills (SX 67 NW 99). It is built of coursed granite with walls 0.6 metres wide and 0.4 metres high, defining an internal area of 8.3 metres by 4.55 metres. The building is interpreted as a powder magazine in which finished gunpowder from Powder Mills was stored prior to transportation.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016635: Gunpowder factory at Powder Mills, a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement and round cairn

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NW230
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 887470
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NW/304
• Old SAM County Ref: 921
• Old SAM Ref: 28718.05

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• POWDER MAGAZINE (Constructed, XIX - 1844 AD (Between) to 1897 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Magazine' shown on 19th century map as a small rectangular building circa 90 metres west of the track leading to the Powdermills gunpowder factory complex. A track running east to west with a turning loop at the western end serves the building.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Rectangular building shown on early 20th century map.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, P. Pattison (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(08/06/1989) Ruins of a rectangular stone building on a slight E slope at SX 62517658, isolated in moorland but approached from the E by a raised, formerly metalled track which ends here in a loop. The building has walls of coursed granite 0.6m wide and 0.4m high, defining an internal area of 8.3m x 4.55m. There is masonry around the S half of the building and along the E external face: generally only one course but there are three at the SE corner where they are visibly mortared. The N half is a bank 1.2m to 2m wide and 0.6m high; all masonry is concealed. Some rubble lies scattered inside and outside, including four large, cut granite blocks. No entrance is visible. Outside the W wall, a cut into the slope 0.4m high is the edge of the terraced platform on which the structure is built.
The structure is shown as a roofed building in 1888, named "magazine" (OS 1886), and in 1906 (OS 1906), but not named. It was, presumably, part of the Powder Mills complex and its function helps to explain its isolation (although the walls are quite thin) (see SX 67 NW 99).

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 149301 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(30/11/1998) Powder magazine 420 metres south-west of Powder Mills Farm forming an outlying part of Powdermills gunpowder works. Building 8.3 metres by 4.3 metres. Faced wall 0.55 metres wide and 0.5 metres high. Grass covered with upper course protruding through for most of its circuit. A raised track leads to this building. A large number of pits in the vicinity may be result of stone splitting or military activity. This building cuts through an earlier leat.

Dawson, T. + Hambley, J., 1995, A Survey of the Service and Accommodation Buildings belonging to the Powdermills Gunpowder Factory, Postbridge, 14,Figures 1,10.15, Plate 16 (Report - Survey). SDV351071.

Building 516: Main factory magazine built in the 19th century at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. It lies 120 metres nort-west of the ruined 'Powdermills Cottages'. It is visible as foundations and consisted of a small rectangular building orientated north to south and constructed of granite rubble with dressed quoins. The south-east corner is the best preserved standing three courses high. The remaining walls are visible as low earthen banks. The entrance probably lay in the centre of the south wall. A turning loop was provided for the carts and this and the trackway leading to it off the main access road to the factory is still visible.

English Heritage, 9/10/1981, Gunpowder factory at Powder Mills (Schedule Document). SDV350194.

To the south west of the gunpowder factory stands an isolated rectangular building in which finished gunpowder was stored prior to transportation.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6128 - Survey of the Service and Accommodation Buildings associated with Powdermills Gunpowder Factory (Ref: 95.63)
• EDV8644 - Cherrybrook and Longford Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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