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Summary

Early 20th century tin treatment plant comprising at least three round buddles and a small wheelpit situated to the south of Golden Dagger Tin Mine in the Redwater Valley

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021393: Medieval strip field system, tinworks, part of a prehistoric settlement, a cairn and reave on Challacombe Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NE96
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 915206
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/311

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TIN WORKS (Constructed, Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1901 AD (Between) to 1950 AD (Between))

Full description

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, 144 (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

The remains of a tin blowing-mill can be seen above the village of Challacombe on the bank of the brook. This could have been the site of a mill recorded in 1303.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1986, Tin Mines and Miners of Dartmoor, A photographic record, 45-6, 51, 60 (Monograph). SDV351363.

Two images; one of the trommel units in the lower part of the Redwater Valley (dated approximately 1929), and the second of the buddles under construction dated approximately 1927.

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

(15/06/1990) SX 68877911. An early 20th century tin treatment plant comprising three round buddles and a small wheelpit, situated on the Redwater Valley floor on the east side of the West Webburn River.
Leats supplying both buddles and wheel survive just outside to both east and west (see related records).
This small plant was built around 1927 by Torr Trust Limited Co for the initial treatment of tin concentrate obtained on the surface from alluvial deposits and reworking waste dumps from earlier streamworking in the immediate vicinity (the "lower workings" of the Golden Dagger sett). From here it was carted up the valley to the tin dressing floors at SX 6855 7990 for further refining. A photograph survives showing the site under construction (Greeves, 1986).
See also SX 67 NE 97, 98 and 101 for related tin-working.
Surveyed at 1:2500, plan with SX 67 NE 111.

Agricultural Development Advisory Service, 1991, Challacombe Farm Postbridge, Devon (Duchy Farms Project), 29, Map D1 (Report - Assessment). SDV356546.

Tin treatment plant comprising a rectangular wheelpit and several buddles.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 21-22, Map 24 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Site '5' at Golden Dagger Tin Mine where alluvial mounds at the lower end of the Redwater valley were re-worked in the 1920s when three buddles and a small water wheel were constucted to grade the ore.

English Heritage, 2005, Industrial Survey Information (Report - Survey). SDV346396.

Depicted on the survey data.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Area of buddles adjacent to wheelpit visible on aerial photograph.

Watson, P., 2014, 20th century Alluvial Tin Working in the Redwater Valley (Un-published). SDV357834.

The Redwater valley below the Golden Dagger mine was reworked for its alluvial tin deposits in the 1920s by Dartmoor Tin Mines Limited and Torr Trust Limited. Dartmoor Tin began work in 1923 for a short period during which a considerable sum was spent modernizing the mill at Golden Dagger. Early in 1925 Torr Trust comenced operations which continued until 1930, although financial returns may have been limited.
Attempts were made in 1937 to reopen the Golden Dagger mine, whether this was to continue working the alluvial material or reopen the mine is not clear and this operation appears to have been short lived. Golden Daggers operations appear to have been the subject of complaints of pollution of the river throughout the 20th century workings by the Dart Board of Conservators.
The site in the Redwater valley includes three buddles, the smaller being used for treating the heads, higher grade concentrate. These buddles all appear to be largely of timber construction suggesting their temporary nature.
The site is adjacent to the Redwater Brook and is largely waterlogged with extensive reed growth. After an initial examination and clearance of the site, including the wheelpit, which as well as the usual animal bones and ‘rubbish’ contained a number of corroded narrow gauge rails from the tramway laid up the valley to the mill, the site was surveyed in 2013.
The three buddles were identified primarily by the stone and concrete central distribution cones, which still had their steel bearing ‘pins’ in place. The remains of several posts were also found being part of the timber frames supporting the buddle mechanisms. A fourth small buddle was found on the left hand side of the site when viewed from the wheelpit. This small buddle is of different construction, the sides being of stone rather than wood, which was used on the other three. Was this small buddle of an earlier period than the others; Plate 57 in Greeves’s (1986) book shows a small stone walled buddle with its own waterwheel in operation, the other photographs show a site under construction?
Traces of the leat or leats serving the site were also surveyed for some distance up the valley.
Whilst no trace could be found of the tailrace from the wheelpit, taking levels suggested it would have been discharged into the brook quite close to the site.

Welch, B. + Welch, T., 2014, The Redwater wheel pit and buddles (Plan - measured). SDV356560.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6476 - Survey of the Redwater wheel pit and buddles
• EDV8658 - Challacombe, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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